How long have you been a member of AACE?
I have been a member of AACE for 3 years.
What is your current position and where do you work?
I am an Assistant Professor and Assistant Director at the Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center.
How long have you been doing research in the field of cancer education?
I have been working in this field for more than 12 years.
How did your interest in the field of cancer education begin?
My desire to address cancer health disparities was not by happenstance, but based on experiencing first-hand the long-term effects of health disparities in my rural and underserved community (Pop: 837 residents) in the Mississippi River Delta Region of Arkansas. This area has been identified by Siegal et al as one of three colorectal cancer "hot spot" in 2015. But long before this article, I saw countless family members and friends die prematurely as a result of living in underserved areas where access to health care services is difficult to obtain and the lack of cancer awareness and knowledge is related to lower adherence to preventive screening. The premature deaths of the people I love fueled my desire to learn about public health and ways to address these health problems as a cancer disparities researcher.
Describe some of your research as it relates to cancer education.
Research includes the development of cancer health initiatives that provide roadmaps for engaging communities that tend to be underrepresented, rural, and under-resourced. I have served as the principal or co-investigator of multiple funded grants focusing on the implementation of precision public health interventions, cancer health disparities, and health care reform. My scientific interests as a health services researcher are the development of strategies that reduce cancer health disparities. My research agenda includes examining components of health care reform and how provisions of the Affordable Care Act address cancer health disparities among poor, minorities, and underserved communities. All of my research includes cancer education as a component of community outreach and engagement of hard to reach communities to address cancer disparities.
What motivates you to continue to do research in cancer education?
I would like to cultivate future health disparity pioneers that take a multidisciplinary and translational approach to addressing cancer disparities among the poor and underserved.
Do you have any advice for individuals interested in pursuing a career in cancer education?
Develop a mentoring team that includes a peer mentor, onsite mentor, and a distant mentor (POD) model who can help guide your career in cancer education.