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Season 2 – Episode 8: Advocacy, Mentoring, and Equity in Cancer Research

In this episode, we hear from Dr. Khadijah Mitchell, an Assistant Professor of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at Fox Chase Cancer Center and a former NCI fellow. Dr. Mitchell discusses her research on lung cancer and health disparities. She highlights the importance of the menthol cigarette ban in reducing health disparities and shares her experience in advocacy work. Dr. Mitchell shares details on books she has co-authored that emphasize the significance of inclusive instruction and mentoring in science.  She provides advice for those interested in careers in cancer health disparities and more. 

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Episode Guest

Khadijah A. Mitchell

Khadijah A. Mitchell, Ph.D., M.S.

Dr. Khadijah A. Mitchell is an Assistant Professor in the Cancer Prevention and Control Program (Fox Chase Cancer Center-Temple Health) and affiliated faculty in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (Temple University College of Public Health). Her research laboratory uses multi-omic approaches to address biological, environmental, and behavioral causes of cancer health disparities for precision prevention and precision medicine purposes. Dr. Mitchell and collaborators have identified micro-geographic contributors to lung cancer incidence, and shown clinically-relevant genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic differences exist between lung and kidney cancers from African Americans and European Americans. Collectively, her work has implications for improved cancer prevention, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment outcomes in racial and ethnic minorities. Dr. Mitchell’s research has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals, including Nature Communications and Nature Cancer, and her work has been funded by the U.S. Department of Defense. 

Previously, Dr. Mitchell was an Assistant Professor of Biology at Lafayette College and a Postdoctoral Fellow at the National Cancer Institute. She concurrently earned her Ph.D. in Human Genetics and Molecular Biology from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a Graduate Certificate in Health Disparities and Health Inequality from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She completed her M.S. in Biology from Duquesne University, and obtained a B.S. in Biology and Undergraduate Certificate in Conceptual Foundations of Medicine from the University of Pittsburgh. 

Dr. Mitchell is a nationally sought-after speaker, best-selling author, and the recipient of many honors and awards, including the Peter C.S. d’Aubermont, MD, Endowed Scholar of Health and Life Sciences. Her subject matter expertise has been tapped to serve on scientific and public health advisory boards across academia, state and federal government, and global industry to promote health equity.

Show Notes

Khadijah A. Mitchell, Ph.D. 
Fox Chase Cancer Center 
Office of Community Outreach  
What Inclusive Instructors Do? Principles and Practices for Excellence in College Teaching (book) 
Enhancing Inclusive Instruction (book) 

 Ad: NCI Data Science Training  

NCI Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis 
NCI Sallie Rosen Kaplan Program 

Your Turn Recommendations: 

LEGO for Adults 
For All Mankind TV series on Apple TV 

Episode Transcript

Oliver Bogler
Hello and welcome to Inside Cancer Careers, a podcast from the National Cancer Institute where we explore all the different ways people fight cancer and we hear their stories. I'm your host, Oliver Bogler from NCI’s Center for Cancer Training. Today we're talking to Dr. Khadijah Mitchell, Assistant Professor in the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program at Fox Chase Cancer Center and Temple University in Philadelphia about her work, her professional engagement and launching a research program in an academic setting. Listen through to the end of the show to hear our guests make an interesting recommendation and where we invite you to take your turn. 
Dr. Mitchell, welcome.

Khadijah A. Mitchell
So thank you so much, Dr. Bogler, for the invitation.

Oliver Bogler
So you joined Fox Chase in July, 2023 to pursue your research on cancer health disparities. What prompted the move?

Khadijah A. Mitchell
Well, previously I was an assistant professor at a small liberal arts college and there I balanced my time with research as well as teaching. And it was just the natural evolution as my research program grew, I knew I had to shift to a research institution that would accommodate future directions that my research was going in. And so here, I'm really fortunate that we, because I'm at a comprehensive cancer center, designated by the NCI. We have an Office of Outreach and Engagement, and a lot of what I do engages underrepresented populations. And so to have that research and infrastructure to allow my work to go in any direction was really appealing to me.

Oliver Bogler
Please tell us more about your research.

Khadijah A. Mitchell
Oh, sure. So recently, I've focused my energy on lung cancer because I think a lot that we can consider lung cancer an underdog of the cancer community. We have a lot of stigma associated with this particular cancer type. So I think that there's not as large of a survivor advocate community as you may see with breast or prostate cancer. So more people actually pass away unfortunately from this type of cancer than some of those other ones can bind and we know a huge risk factor is smoking and so I have an interest in that particular type of environmental exposure but also radon which is odorless colorless gas that causes lung cancer and so right now I'm really interested in the environmental exposome and how that impacts our genome so thinking about these interactions. And, you know, I think that one powerful thing about the radon is we see that that is actually the leading cause of lung cancer in never smokers. And so I hope that these projects will help us to find either new smoking-related or radon-related biomarkers that could be risk factors and that we can change, for example, lung cancer screening guidelines and policies that will help a lot of people.

Oliver Bogler
You used the term exposome. It's not a term I've heard before, but I guess it's another “omic” . What is the exposome?

Khadijah A. Mitchell
Exactly, so that's a great question before I delved into this I also did not know that So we have internal and external exposure and it literally is the sum collections of all your exposures.  So whether it's chronic or acute and how that changes your biology. I've looked at genomics transcriptomics proteomics in the past and I never have integrated this exposome. So really excited about where that's going.

Oliver Bogler
So the exposome is a sort of, how should I think about it? Insults to the body like radon you mentioned, or I guess ultraviolet light or toxins. But is it also beneficial things like vitamins or is that not considered to be part of the exposome?

Khadijah A. Mitchell
It is considered to be part of the exposome. Interestingly I think it is a net-sum game. So some of the things are good and you can think of them as pro, and some are anti. And sometimes even a little exposure to things that we may think, oh, that's probably not the best for our body to be exposed to. In fact, it can prime you to repair that later on.

Oliver Bogler
So last year, the new National Cancer Plan was unveiled by the President's Cancer Panel, and in response to President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden's Moonshot goals of reducing cancer mortality by at least 50 % over the next 25 years, a big part of that will be cancer prevention. And that in turn includes further reduction in tobacco use. You've already mentioned your interest in lung cancer. In connection with that, there's been public discourse about menthol cigarettes recently. In particular, that's been a spark point. What's that debate about and what's your perspective on it and the National Cancer Plan in general?

Khadijah A. Mitchell
One I have to say I'm very excited that we are revisiting the menthol cigarette debate and the National Cancer Plan because this is not the first time we've had this debate in public discourse. And the issue is that although cigarette smoking has gone down for decades, in fact, menthol cigarette smoking has actually increased. And it's actually a third of the market. And so there have been statewide bans and some citywide bans who are trying to put forth the menthol ban. We've been successful with other types of flavorings and additives, but for some reason, the menthol has been tricky. So by the federal government stepping in and saying, we're going to protect the health of Americans, that was very significant. And so I think that it's very timely that we're having this discussion again right now because a lot of our conversations center on vaping and thinking about flavoring there and not so much in combustible tobacco. And that is still the leading cause of death and disability. And so by targeting that, we have a huge opportunity for public health. 
I think that in particular for the populations that I study, the most vulnerable, they're more likely to smoke menthol cigarettes compared to others. So for example, when we look at African Americans who do smoke, 85 % of them smoke menthol cigarettes. It's a very high, when we look at veterans, youth, LGBTQ, so there are all these populations that are basically have been targeted with the menthol tobacco. And so we have a great opportunity to help reduce the risk and save those lives targeting the menthol debate. You know, I'd be remiss if I didn't bring up the social justice aspects of this. How do we enforce this ban? Of course, the FDA, the NIH is not an enforcement body. And so we have to think about how to be delicate and sensitive to that to those populations who are at risk. 

Oliver Bogler
So I'm curious about how you pick the topics that you work on in your science. What's your creative process? How do you settle upon, as you have at this point in your career, lung cancer as the point of emphasis?

Khadijah A. Mitchell
So that's interesting. So I actually have the same process I use for creative writing. So in my spare time, I generate ideas. And so I try to use this with my science. So that includes when I am idea generating, appealing to all of my senses. So I make sure that, you know, sight, you know, smell, taste, those type of things. So that's for the aesthetic.
But then I actually like to think of big questions that maybe individuals haven't considered or new approaches. So I think that a lot of science is interdisciplinary. And sometimes we have to think of who is not at the table or what perspective is not being brought in. And maybe that's my default as a health disparities researcher. I think what am I missing? So I guess I have deference for my own knowledge. And so it tends to be that I go to the literature and I see what people are thinking about, but maybe what colleagues in different silos are looking at and how I can bridge that gap. 
So, you know, I think that is something that has happened many times throughout my career is that I look at what another discipline or approach or friends in that way. And in fact, it's not just science. Sometimes I think about how humanities and social scientists view problems and whether its in salons and cafes and the way they exchange ideas and that generates energy. So I'm a high extrovert so I very much enjoy group discussions and that really gets my juices going. So that's my process.

Oliver Bogler
That's really interesting. Thank you for sharing that. Yeah, so I mean, you really connect with all kinds of different inputs to try and, I guess, I don't know what the right word is, but you kind of take a bigger perspective rather than always being in the details where I'm sure you are when you're doing your analysis and things like that. And of course you do all kinds of other things. And I want to just touch on one of those right now. You've also co-authored two books. One called “What Inclusive Instructors Do? Principles and Practices for Excellence in College Teaching”. And more recently “Enhancing Inclusive Instruction”, which came out mid -March. Please tell us about these books.

Khadijah A. Mitchell
I'm a first generation college student and I had a very supportive family who poured into my love of science, but it was until I became a college student that it was my instructors that really helped guide me and kept me in the STEM pipeline. And so I guess this was my way to pay it forward by thinking about as a scientist, a full-fledged card-carrying cancer geneticist. And I will say that my experience at NIH also poured into this because I had the opportunity to participate in the science and teaching science certificate program, and I also had opportunity to teach at the FAES graduate school. And so because of that, I thought about how there was a diversity of students and learners, ages, backgrounds, visible and invisible attributes of their identity. And so that is what helped inform my desire to do the work for these books. 
And these are evidence-based because as a scientist we like data. So they're nationwide studies. And in one study we asked instructors and in the other studies we actually asked the learners. And so that is what's different with the two books. The first one is getting principles and practices from instructors and the second is asking the impact of being able to assess those efforts from a learner's perspective and also as individuals who want to continue with making sure that we're being effective in our inclusive teaching and that everyone has an opportunity to learn. 

Oliver Bogler
So what are the key take home messages from the two books if you might indulge me?

Khadijah A. Mitchell
Sure, so I guess there are a ton of… they’re chock full of… The first one is that inclusive teachers or inclusive instructors, I should say, that they actually have a growth mindset, not a fixed mindset. And I think that translates whether you're an instructor at undergraduate, graduate, health professions. We even had lawyers and legal scholars review this book and use this in professional practice. So that is the one thing that was throughout the book, throughout discipline, stage training, adjunct, tenure track, so many different type of institutions, that they had this growth mindset and that they were willing to acknowledge the differences in their students. 
And so we think about from the student perspective, they really appreciated having choice, which I think is somehow sometimes against dogma. They really loved having a choice of the type of assessment, type of learning, the way that they wanted to be addressed. But I think what bridges the two is relationship building. So both of them talked about having positive relationships in a classroom, in a laboratory setting, and how that was important.

Oliver Bogler
So in addition to doing research and writing books, you also speak on health equity quite a lot. You serve as a subject matter expert on health disparities for the American Lung Association and the LUNGevity Foundation. And you've guided government health policy in the Pennsylvania Department of Health in various roles, Office of Health Equity Advisor and so on. So tell us about the advocacy work. That sounds really important as well.

Khadijah A. Mitchell
It's wonderful when we are working in our labs and we're working with colleagues and collaborators. But I think what is really powerful is when we see that work being translated at a policy level, whether we at the local, state, or federal. And so that has been really rewarding for me. So in the last few years, like you mentioned, I've had the opportunity to lend my health equity expertise to these different divisions. And I think what has been so powerful to me is to see in real time health metrics change and health outcomes. And so particularly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, I was able to give advice to our governor and these evidence-based recommendations were actually taken up so we could see in real time, not only the general population, but in particular cancer patients because healthcare resources were allocated in different ways. So I think that has been wonderful to me to see the way that our research is directly applied into public health practice and particularly for disease control and prevention. So it's been very exciting also to speak to my earlier point. I'm able to collaborate with colleagues from totally different backgrounds and we have points of synergy. And so there's been new collaborations that have come from even in that service for from our research. So that has been really amazing.

Oliver Bogler
Well, let's take a quick break and when we come back, we'll talk to Dr. Mitchell about her path to her current position. 

[music]

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[music ends]

Oliver Bogler
And we're back. Dr. Mitchell, my favorite question. What first sparked your interest in science?
Khadijah A. Mitchell
Oh, so that’s an easy question. When I was 12, a family friend went into sickle cell crisis and I asked my mother, I said, you know, his name was Phil. I said, well, how can Phil is in so much pain? And so my mother, she was my first PI. She said, look it up. Why couldn't she just tell me? So I decided, and this was before the internet, so I probably dating myself. I had a word book, encyclopedias. I couldn't find it. So I called the local hospital.
And I remember the operator said, I said, I would like to talk to someone about sickle cell, please. And she connected me with the genetic counseling clinic. And the genetic counselor that I spoke to happened to be very empathetic and kind to a young Dr. Mitchell-to-be. And she said, you seem very interested in understanding this disease. Would you like to come down and talk to me? So my mom took me to the hospital and went to the clinic. And, you know, it just so happened she was an African American woman. So that was the first African American woman geneticist that I ever met. And she said, well, if you're interested, you can volunteer here in our clinic. And so she said, you have to be 14. So two years went by, she probably thought I might not see her again, but I came back a-knockin'. And so from the age of 14 to 18, I actually volunteered in a genetic counseling clinic. And that's when I discovered my love for human genetics. 
I thought, and even to this day, it's absolutely beautiful that one change can just impact our life. So I asked them all where can I go to be a great human geneticist and they said Johns Hopkins, they have a human genetics clinic and I learned about Victor McKusick who is a hero of mine. And so I said well I'm going to go to Johns Hopkins and I grew up and actually did go to Johns Hopkins and get my PhD in human genetics because of that formative experience so that's when I knew I wanted to be a scientist

Oliver Bogler
That's a phenomenal story. So I guess kudos to your mom for not answering your question. 

Khadijah A. Mitchell
Exactly.

Oliver Bogler
Yeah, fantastic. So you went to Johns Hopkins and you studied human genetics for your PhD. What particular aspect were you focused on?

Khadijah A. Mitchell
So I had developed a passion for cancer epigenetics and I was fortunate enough I worked with Dr. Steven Baylin… who had always read his research and even, you know, I guess one thing, our neighbor… I worked at the National Human Genome Research Institute right before I started my PhD. And I called, one day I sent him an email and I said, can I come work with you the summer before? And he said, sure. And it was just a wonderful experience that this world renowned scientists, right, would take this post-bac and start early, basically. And so I really had a great experience and I joined that lab. And so I focused on colon cancer epigenetics when I was a graduate student. 
But also when I was at Johns Hopkins, because I was in our, another NCI Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, we had a center to reduce cancer health disparities there. And so I was able to get, become a trainee in the center. So although at the lab I was learning a lot about colon cancer epigenetics, I was learning about screening and engaging that population in the community in Baltimore. And so I ended up getting, along with my PhD, a certificate in health disparities and health inequality from the School of Public Health. So it was this beautiful mashup of what happened in the bench and going from bench to the bedside and understanding the translational work from Dr. Baylin. But going from the bench to the community block is what I learned to do from our Center to  Reduce Cancer Disparities in our School Public Health.

Oliver Bogler
That's fascinating. And obviously that experience had a profound impact on what you're doing today, right? But I don't want to get too far ahead. I want to note that, again, while you were a graduate student and doing this health disparities work, you were also doing other things. I noticed on your CV, you were engaged as an officer of the Biomedical Scholars Association there, right? What was that about and what drew you to do that work?

Khadijah A. Mitchell
That was great. So that's another wonderful memory that I have. So one of my closest friends, Dr. Jennifer Cohen, she had founded this organization the year before I started graduate school in the School of Medicine, but there weren't any members. And so she said, you know, I've tried this last year, I had a couple people we kind of fizzled out and said, oh, we should try again. 
And so I actually paired up with Dr. Cohen and we expanded the membership to include school of public health and school of nursing. So we became a tri-school organization. And I realized that there are people involved with research and cancer outcomes in these other schools as well that we should work together, Again, these disciplinary silos. And so I was the first vice president and the second president. And really, that was, I guess, my claim to fame is making us a tri-school organization. But I also started what was called Junior Biomedical Scholars, which is a mentorship program with the local high school. And so this went on to be a nonprofit organization and very, very impactful for the Johns Hopkins community. So I did a lot of mentorship in that way, mentorship that was near-peer, but also mentorship with our peers. So we had mock comprehensive exams and things like that. So we really helped one another grow from student into scientist. And I think that is.. and I've had the opportunity now as an alum to actually work with the current biomedical scholars, and we have kind of like this alumni mentorship program. So that was really great to be able to give back to my alma mater in that way.

Oliver Bogler
Fabulous. I mean, everybody acknowledges that mentoring is important, but not everybody takes the kind of action that you've taken, particularly at an early stage in your career. What drew you to that?

Khadijah A. Mitchell
So, well, to be honest, I realized that there were some mentoring relationships that I very much thrived in, and others not so much. And I started wondering, what's the secret sauce? What is the ingredient, and how can we replicate that? And I think, of course, the National Academies has a really great report on this.
But thinking about evidence-based mentorship, so the same way we think about this with our science and I think about this with teaching, is that there is evidence-based practices with mentorship. So similarly, it started with my own experiences and then wondering how can we maximize the best mentoring outcomes. 

And I will say another, I guess, transformative experience for me is that when I was in graduate school and as I transitioned into my postdoctoral fellowship at NCI, I was a part of a research program, a national research program with Dr. Rick McGee, who is very well known for establishing wonderful mentorship programs at Northwestern. And this program gave me a science coach and my science coach was outside of my institution. And I also had nine other colleagues that were part of this program with me. And so we have this virtual program. We meet together in person once a year. And that was really great for me to get peer mentorship, but also to understand that our careers aren't linear. My mentor told me that. And I think there was a time where I thought it very much was rigid and had to go... 
So I think that advice stuck with me throughout my career so I really much listen I guess… it's I think about my due North and what is my… and I try to follow that. Sometimes it may go around but as long as I'm guiding towards it, I need to be, I think that was great mentorship advice that I got.

Oliver Bogler
Yeah, that I think makes sense. Very few people follow a logical path. And maybe in retrospect, it looks like it was natural or logical, but it doesn't feel that way necessarily while you're on it. So you mentioned you came to NCI for postdoc. And I believe at that point, you started working in health disparities full time, right? Tell us about that. What was it like to be at the NCI as a postdoc?

Khadijah A. Mitchell
Yes. It was great. So I can say it was very intentional that I wanted to do a postdoctoral fellowship at the NCI because I did a fellowship previously at the NIH. And so, and again, that was when I was at the Genome Institute and I thought, well, it's such a great experience as an IRTA that I would love to go back as a postdoc. And because I was

because I was a full-fledged cancer researcher at that time. I thought, what better than the NCI? So I was very fortunate to join the Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis under the helm of Dr. Curt Harris, but particularly my leader was Dr. Bríd Ryan, and Bríd was just a really great mentor to me. She was a Stadtman investigator and you know, when I told her that I had, I kind of felt like I was a cancer geneticist moonlighting as a health disparities person. And during the postdoc, I would love to marry these two. And so she truly taught me how to be an integrated molecular epidemiologist. And so I'm always grateful for that opportunity. 
But more so she really encouraged my passion for science leadership. So she suggested I participate in the Sallie Rosen Kaplan program and she supported that application, and anything that really helped me grow and develop as a scientific leader. And so I just had a really great experience at the NIH. And it also allowed me to nurture my mentoring passions as well as the teaching passions. So I mentioned I taught precision medicine at FAES. I also won the NIH mentorship award. I had a summer mentee. And so it allowed that to grow and develop. So I just had all around… I think that the NCI helped me develop in the areas that are important to be a leader in science, not just the research, right?
Learn about mentoring people to manage teams, to work with groups, to collaborate. I think all of those are lifelong lessons that I carry with me now.

Oliver Bogler
You mentioned the Sallie Rosen Kaplan program, so tell us more about that, please.

Khadijah A. Mitchell 
Yes. So I am a proud alum of the Sallie Rosen Kaplan program. In fact, I keep in regular contact with my cohort. So within my subgroup, we actually still meet quarterly, even though we're all around the world now. So we're in Germany, Ireland, some are still here in the US and DC. We are in academia, industry across the board. But that I guess that bond and that experience was so wonderful that we have maintained that in our professional careers post post-doc. 
So I think that some of the things that were great about that program, it helped me identify strengths, but also areas to work on. So I guess it's a permanent SWOT analysis. And the one thing that stuck with me about that program is I worked very hard, you know, and sometimes I'm really really tough on myself. So I remember one of the workshop facilitators they said, you know, you should name that trait and whenever that trait comes up you should like call it out. And so my traits name is Bootcamp Betty! And sometimes when I have a million things due and I maybe not get to that one, but I did 80, Bootcamp Betty would say I can't believe you didn't get that one and I have to say Betty sit down. And I actually teach to people in my lab that I say we all sometimes have you know, these own interpersonal like conversations. And sometimes we over, I guess, look how much we're accomplishing in the impact that we're making. 
And so I thought that program was great. And even my trainees now, they say, well, we would one day like to thank that facilitator from your post-doc program because it really helps them put things in perspective. And so to be honest, to realize why we do this. Like I am living my dream out loud in color. There's nothing else I would rather do on this earth. And I have to remember that, that this is something that I'm privileged to wake up and do, right? And so you may not get everything done, but there's always tomorrow.

Oliver Bogler
Given your broad experiences and your enthusiasm for your work and all the things you've done, this very, I mean, not just broad in terms of your science, but also in terms of engagement with your colleagues, what would your advice be to people listening who are maybe thinking about a career in cancer research or even a career in health disparities research?

Khadijah A. Mitchell 
That’s a great question. I think two things come to mind and they're actually quotes. So I think of these quotes often. So one is from… there is, and not many people know this particular scientist. Her name was Dr. Roger Arliner Young and she was the first black woman to have a solo author Science paper. And, but so many people don't know her work. She kind of, went the way of obscurity. But one of her surviving quotes, she says, “it's not failure, but low aim that is a crime”. And I think that was so impactful to me, because there are so many people that may not feel like they can do something or are not welcome to do something. And I think that what is important is that she persisted and continued to aim high. So I think that is one thing that would be important. 
And then, because of my time in Baltimore, I've actually met when he was alive Representative, Representative Elijah E. Cummings. And this is, he just was always so supportive of getting youth into science. Even the Junior Biomedical Scholars Program that I founded helped us get funding and support. And one thing he used to always say is “you must have confidence in your competence”. And I think that that is critical. So you have to know that you can do this even if nobody else has given you that confidence and I think those are the things that really stick with me. 
And I guess I have to do one more bonus. Barbara McClintock. One of my favorite scientists of all time. And I think about Barbara McClintock… for so long people thought DNA does not move. There's no way. And it was decades and people didn't believe her. And she never once wavered in what she understood and in trusting her work. And I remember interviewing somebody said, well, what do you say to the people said that you couldn't do this after she got the Nobel Prize? And she says, you know, if you know you're on the right track and you have this inner knowledge, then nobody can turn you off no matter what you say. And I think that that is something that we all can resonate with all of us and we all can, you know, utilize in our careers.

Oliver Bogler
Thank you so much. Thank you. Really appreciate you sharing your science and your journey and your advice. Thank you.

[music]

Oliver Bogler
Now it's time for a segment we call Your Turn because it's a chance for our listeners to send in a recommendation that they would like to share. If you're listening, then you're invited to take your turn. Send us a tip for a book, a video, a podcast or a talk that you found inspirational or amusing or interesting. You can send these to us at nciicc@nih .gov. Record a voice memo and send it along. We may just play it in an upcoming episode. 
I'd like to invite our guest to take her turn, Dr. Mitchell.

Khadijah A. Mitchell
Well, I recommend, and this is something that a new hobby of mine is Lego building for adults. And so I have a ton of Legos now. And sometimes when I'm not doing science, I'm trying to build scientific things. So double helix, I'm trying to build my favorite scientists. And so I think that has been a really great creative outlet for me. And I can actually do this with my family. So, my husband and I also go to Lego conventions now, so that is definitely a fun tip that I recommend. And I even found my neighbor has a ledge in her office, and she has a bunch of different women in science Lego vignettes. 

Oliver Bogler
I think we'd love some pictures of some of those LEGOs to include in our show notes if you are willing.

Khadijah A. Mitchell
Definitely.

Oliver Bogler
Thanks. I'd like to make a recommendation as well. It's for a TV series called For All Mankind, which portrays an alternative reality with a focus on space exploration. No spoilers, but by changing a few key events early in the space race, it sets up an environment in which space exploration is faster and more continuous than it was in reality with significant impact. I found the portrayal of NASA fascinating. And while much of the so is entertainment, and in my opinion very watchable at that, the tension between this government agency and the society in which it exists is portrayed in an interesting way. You can find it on Apple TV.
[music]
That’s all we have time for on today’s episode of Inside Cancer Careers! Thank you for joining us and thank you to our guests.
We want to hear from you – your stories, your ideas and your feedback are welcome. And you are invited to take your turn and make a recommendation to share with our listeners. You can reach us at NCIICC@nih.gov.
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