Currently working as a Postdoctoral Scientist with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer research agency of the World Health Organization, in Lyon, France.
I received my Ph.D. from the Department of Population Health Sciences with an emphasis in Clinical and Translational Epidemiology at the University of Utah in 2024.
A brief autobiography
I am originally from Virginia and received my bachelor's degree in International Studies from Virginia Tech. After serving in the Peace Corps in China, I moved to Utah to pursue an MPH and found my passion in cancer epidemiology. While a student in the PhD program, I was in the clinical and translational epidemiology track and worked as a graduate research assistant in Dr. Jen Doherty's lab at the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI).
Describe your experience in the program
During my time in the PhD program, I gained a lot of first-hand experience with designing epidemiologic studies, managing studies, conducting analyses, grant writing, and manuscript writing. I received a T32 award through the CTSI Stars program which provided the opportunity for training and mentorship across different translational disciplines. When I started in the PhD program, my research interests focused on disparities in lung cancer incidence and outcomes. Based on the clinical observations of a hematologist at HCI I began collaborating on a multidisciplinary team to examine the hypothesis of whether tattooing could increase risk of certain hematologic cancers. We worked with the Utah Department of Health and Human Services to add questions onto the statewide Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey. This enabled us to design two population-based case-control studies which served as the basis for my dissertation project.
What was your favorite class?
Dr. Tom Greene's Statistical Practice course strengthened my coding skills and gave me the tools I needed for many of the analyses I conducted for my dissertation
Describe some of your research experiences
My research is focused on environmental exposures and cancer risk. I'm particularly interested in sociodemographic and cultural patterns of exposures that contribute to inequities in cancer risk and outcomes. My past research has included examining combined radon/smoking and histotype-specific lung cancer associations and identifying pathways to lung cancer diagnosis among unscreened individuals. For my dissertation I investigated associations between tattooing and hematologic cancers and melanoma. I also examined the prevalence of tattooing and associations between tattooing and health and risk-behaviors throughout Utah.
What did you enjoy most about the program?
I enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate in multidisciplinary teams on novel research topics. During my time in the program, I collaborated with clinicians and scientists with a range of specialties. I also had the opportunity to collaborate with researchers at the Utah Department of Health and Human Services and the Utah Cancer Registry.
What is your next step and how you feel the program prepared you for this?
I am working as a postdoctoral scientist with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer research agency of the World Health Organization, in Lyon, France. My dissertation research and collaborations with other researchers interested in tattooing and hematologic cancers led me to connect with a researcher at IARC in the environment and lifestyle epidemiology branch.
What advice you have for future students?
The two things I would recommend for success are networking and self-care. In addition to the academic skills you gain during your PhD program, it's important to also strengthen your networking skills. Networking is important both for building meaningful scientific collaborations and opening doors for future opportunities. Make sure to attend the key conferences in your field and reach out to people whose research interests align with your own.
Working on a PhD is challenging and at times frustrating. Don't put your health and well-being on the back burner. Taking care of yourself and practicing self-care is important.