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Research does not happen in a socio-political vacuum — we should not pretend that it does

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On the basis of personal experiences and in light of current US socio-political realities, Eric Lau advocates for proactive actions against discrimination and emphasizes the need to speak out against oppression, urging research institutions to prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion.

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Acknowledgements

I am grateful to all Lau laboratory members, as well as A. Gomes, D. Heimbek, L. Q. Le, X. Wang, Z. Elias (Moffitt Cancer Center), N. Machuca (Equality Florida), and K. Harden, for critical reading and feedback on this article.

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Correspondence to Eric K. Lau.

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The author declares no competing interests.

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Lau, E.K. Research does not happen in a socio-political vacuum — we should not pretend that it does. Nat Rev Cancer 23, 725–726 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41568-023-00622-1

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