David Jaffray, PhD, Oral History Interview, July 07, 2021
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Description
Interview Chapters
Chapter 01: Personal and Educational Background
Identifier
JaffrayD_20210707
Publication Date
7-7-2021
Recommended Citation
Jaffray, David PhD and Nevill, Nina, "David Jaffray, PhD, Oral History Interview, July 07, 2021" (2021). MD Anderson 2020 Interview Collection. 25.
https://openworks.mdanderson.org/mda2020_interviewsessions/25
Conditions Governing Access
Open
About the Interview
Chapter 01: Personal and Educational Background
In this chapter, Dr. David Jaffray discusses his personal, educational, and professional background. He describes how he became involved in his particular field of study, noting his interests at the intersection of physics, technology, and cancer. Moreover, Dr. Jaffray recalls his professional experiences throughout Canada and the United States prior to his appointment as Chief Technology and Digital Officer at MD Anderson Cancer Center. He ends by describing his recruitment process to the institution and reflecting on the early months of his appointment.
Chapter 02: Navigating a Pandemic
In this chapter, Dr. David Jaffray discusses how MD Anderson Cancer Center responded to the COVID-19 health crisis. He recalls the intital stages in which the institution began to plan and implement various proactive measures to navigate the local impacts of a global pandemic. In particular, he notes how MD Anderson maneuvered the tensions that came with restriciting access to certain areas, how the institution responded to remote work, and the challenges surrounding obtaining enough personal protective equipment. Dr. Jaffray also mediates on the impacts of this particular era, describing how it “reset people’s tolderance to distruption.”
Dr. Jaffray also discusses notable moments in hindsight and notes the cross collobration across the Texas Medical Center, implementing the MOAT system, and shutting down the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Moreover, Dr. Jaffary ends by reflecting on the borader contexts of the time in regard to racial justice and how MD Anderson intends to address racial and socioeconomic equity in the future.
Chapter 03: Digital Transformations
Dr. David Jaffray spends this chapter descsribing his role as Chief Technology and Digital Officer at MD Anderson Cancer Center. He speficially describes the initiatives he has been a part of that seek to bridge data science, technology, and oncology. Dr. Jaffray also considers the possible resistance to these intitatives, though emphasizes how proper stewardship of data can assist in the fight towards eliminating cancer. He also reflects on the importance of collobration across the institution, noting the need to redefine how promotion for faculty should be thought of in order to counter inidividualism. Dr. Jaffray ends by meditating on the overall outlook of MD Anderson’s response to COVID-19.
Processing Information:
Interview with Dr. David Jaffray conducted by Nina Nevill, Oral History Intern in 2021. The interview was processed by John McCool, Research Medical Library staff. The interview abstracts composed by Allison Saenz, Historical Resources Center Oral History Intern in 2023.