Dr. Shail Maingi

Dr. Shail Maingi is a medical oncologist, hematologist, and palliative care physician on faculty at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, where she sees patients at one of their regional campuses. She is also involved with their Cancer Care Access Program, which works to expand access to high-quality oncology care for patients who face barriers to receiving it. Her clinical, academic, and teaching work focuses on oncology, hospice and palliative care, and LGBTQ+ health equity, including collaboration with the Harvard Medical School Fenway Health LGBTQIA+ Health Fellowship Program. She says, “Becoming a physician felt like a way to not only treat disease, but to advocate—to make care more humane, more equitable, and more responsive to the full identities people carry with them into the clinic.” Nationally recognized for her leadership in LGBTQ+ health equity, Dr. Maingi currently serves as chair of the American Medical Association LGBTQ+ Section Governing Council. She previously served on the board of GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality, where she led the Lesbian Health Fund for six years, supporting research focused on improving the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ women and girls. Her academic work focuses on LGBTQ+ experiences across the cancer continuum, including palliative care and hospice. “It’s especially meaningful when LGBTQ+ patients share that they feel safe being themselves in a healthcare setting, sometimes for the first time,” she says. “Those moments—when someone can exhale, be honest, and fully engage in their care—are deeply meaningful and remind me why this work matters.” –LE