Recipients of the Inaugural DCEG Cancer Health Disparities Research Award
, by DCEG Staff
Jessica Madrigal, Cody Ramin, and Jacqueline Vo
In 2021, the DCEG Cancer Health Disparities Research Award was launched to expand cancer disparities research within the Division. The award encourages postdoctoral trainees to initiate new and highly innovative cancer disparity and/or minority health research projects that they will continue into their independent research careers. Winners of the DCEG Cancer Health Disparities Research Award receive up to $75,000 of supplemental funding.
Jessica Madrigal, Ph.D., M.S., postdoctoral fellow in the Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, received the award for her proposal, “Characterizing the independent and joint contributions of the chemical, non-chemical, and social-structural environment on cancer incidence and mortality disparities in the United States.” With this project, Dr. Madrigal aims to better understand the interplay between environmental and social-structural factors with biological factors that may contribute to cancer health disparities.
Cody Ramin, Ph.D., research fellow, and Jacqueline B. Vo, Ph.D., R.N., M.P.H., postdoctoral fellow, in the Radiation Epidemiology Branch, were jointly awarded for their proposal, “Risk of second cancer, cardiovascular disease, and mortality among non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic Black breast cancer patients in a general community health care setting.” By examining associations by race/ethnicity in a managed health care system, Drs. Ramin and Vo aim to provide insight on racial/ethnic health disparities that persist even among insured patients and inform clinical guidance to reduce these disparities in breast cancer survivors.