The Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI) has named Sylk Sotto, EdD, MBA, MPS, as its first Chief Diversity Officer. The establishment of the role is a direct outcome of the Indiana CTSI’s taskforce on equity, diversity and inclusion (DEI), which convened in 2021 to develop a plan for addressing health inequities and racial justice within its scope in Indiana.
Sotto, a health equity scholar and nationally recognized leader in DEI, emphasized that the work she will do as Chief Diversity Officer goes far beyond what the title suggests.
“This job is not about keeping track of metrics,” she said. “It’s about thoroughly integrating a health equity lens into every aspect of the organization and its work, impacting investigators, our partners, and the community.”
Sotto has played key roles in the CTSI over the last several years. As the director of All IN For Health, a CTSI program dedicated to engaging the public in research, she has increased the participation of minoritized populations in the organization’s volunteer registry. She is also co-director of the CTSI’s workforce development program and serves as a faculty investigator with the IU Center for Bioethics.
Sotto co-led the 2021 taskforce on DEI alongside co-chair Brownsyne Tucker Edmonds, MD, MPH, who is vice president and chief health equity officer for IU Health. The taskforce’s recommendations, which are documented in the Racial Justice and Health Equity Taskforce Report, included the establishment of a standing committee on DEI to provide structure and accountability for the CTSI’s new focus on health equity.
“We are honored that Dr. Sotto will be leading our DEI efforts,” said Sarah Wiehe, MD, MPH, co-director of the Indiana CTSI. “She has exactly the experience and perspective we need to achieve our collective goals, which include creating a diverse and trusted translational research workforce; better engaging and empowering underserved populations; enhancing access to our programs and services; and harmonizing disparate data sources to advance health equity.”
Sotto is an associate professor of medicine in the Department of Medicine at IU School of Medicine, where she is vice chair for faculty affairs and professional development, and vice chair for diversity, health equity, and inclusion. Her scholarship and research include faculty affairs and professional development; inclusive learning environments; organizational structures and institutional bias; and the intersection of health equity and research ethics. Recently, she was awarded the Scholar Educator Award by the IU School of Medicine.
“Diversity work isn’t done on a lonely pillar,” Sotto said. “We must be intentional, collaborative and focused in our pursuit of improving health equity in clinical and translational sciences.”
The Indiana CTSI supports and affirms the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) Statement in Support of Ending Structural Racism and Health Disparities.
