About 

WARE works in collaboration with both MGH Leadership and the WCP Faculty, but remains an independent group. Our role, as we see it, is to collect information, advocate for change by educating ourselves and our colleagues, propose ideas for bringing about change, assist the WCP leadership, faculty and HR in implementation of those ideas and ensure accountability. Through these actions, we create a more equitable environment within WCP, and can lead other departments in their efforts by example and collaboration. The role of this group will continue to evolve, and we have started this process by taking a proactive stance in identifying shortcomings of WCP when it comes to racial equity and, accordingly, have set concrete short-and long-term goals for ourselves. We have task-orientated subgroups working on:

• Gaining a detailed understanding of our demographics and climate of WCP, and identification of racial equity-related shortcomings therein

• Education of ourselves and our colleagues, in the form of making anti-racism resources readily available and well-advertised

• Evaluating and reinventing the recruitment process, in order to foster diversity within the WCP

• Creating support systems within WCP, both in terms of career advancement and in the idea of safe spaces where everyone’s voices can be heard

• Reevaluating our clinical research practices to promote diverse representation in clinical trials, while recognizing the inherent biases in our own light-based technologies and ensuring proactive testing for safety and efficacy in patients of all skin tones

• Developing an outreach program at WCP in order to build partnerships and offer mentorship to local schools, community organizations and Historically Black Colleges and Universities Through these actions, we believe we can help to make the scientific community an inclusive, diverse, and welcoming one for all.