I am currently a second-year NIH IRACDA (FIRST) postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Lauren McCullough’s research group, conducting research at the intersections of molecular biology, epigenetics, and epidemiology to investigate the molecular underpinnings of health disparities. The goal of my research is to understand how socio-structural determinants “above the skin” influence biological mechanisms “under the skin” and drive cancer disparities. I am particularly interested in investigating the impact of aberrant epigenetic activation of stem cell signaling via exposure to disadvantageous social factors on the etiology of Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC), a cancer with known health disparities. In addition, through the FIRST program, I teach at Spelman college, where I developed and currently teach a course on Social Epigenomics.

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Dr. Lauren Barber is a postdoctoral fellow in the Epidemiology Department at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. Her overarching research interests center around studying cancer etiology and mortality in underserved populations and investigating risk factors that contribute to racial disparities in cancer incidence and mortality. In particular, Dr. Barber’s postdoctoral research focuses on understanding the roles that social contextual factors and sleep play in breast cancer outcomes among Black and White women. The overarching goal of Dr. Barber’s research is to elucidate and reduce cancer health disparities in underserved populations by identifying modifiable factors for targeted intervention.

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I am a doctoral student in epidemiology at the Rollins School of Public Health. My overarching research interests are in understanding how obesity, poor diet and physical inactivity (known collectively as “energetics”) influence breast cancer recurrence and survival and the underlying molecular mechanisms that link them. I have been working with Dr. McCullough examining the influence of crown-like structures in the breast adipose tissue (CLS-B), which form in response to weight gain and create a pro-inflammatory environment, on breast cancer prognosis. The aim of this work is to improve our understanding of the breast adipose tissue microenvironment and its role as a potential driver of breast cancer development and progression.

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I grew up in Canton, Michigan, before moving to Ann Arbor to study biochemistry and liberal studies (individualized studies major) at Eastern Michigan University. Before attending graduate school, I worked in the lab of Dr. Corey Speers at the University of Michigan, where I examined strategies to radiosensitize aggressive breast cancers. In 2018, I pursued a Master’s of Public Health in Epidemiology at Emory University with a focus on Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology. During my time in the MPH program, I worked at the PBB Registry, led by Dr. Michele Marcus, where I conducted primary data collection and led a study focused on the heritability of epigenetic marks associated with polybrominated biphenyl exposure. Additionally, I worked with Dr. Lauren McCullough and the Winship Cancer Institute to explore the role of central adiposity on lymphoma prognosis. I joined the Epidemiology Ph.D. program at Emory in 2020 and am interested in the social and biological mechanisms of health disparities as well as the effect of environment toxicant exposures over the life course. Within Dr. Lauren McCullough’s research group, I am currently investigating the relationship between redlining and epigenetic markers and the racial, regional, and socioeconomic disparities in breast cancer mortality among women in Georgia.

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I am a doctoral student in the Department of Epidemiology interested in cancer outcome disparities and demographic and molecular predictors of cancer recurrence. I began working with Dr. McCullough’s research group in 2019, by examining racial and geographic disparities in gastrointestinal cancer mortality. I am currently examining spatial heterogeneity in observed racial disparities in breast cancer mortality through a Bayesian spatial modeling approach with plans to disseminate these results to our community partners and stakeholders throughout the state of Georgia.

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I earned my PhD in Epidemiology from Emory University in June 2020 and am currently a postdoctoral fellow at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah. My overarching research interests are to understand multi-level contributors to disparities in recurrence and mortality among breast and ovarian cancer patients. In my doctoral work, I was awarded a National Cancer Institute F31 to evaluate therapeutic changes, patient characteristics, and biomarkers that may explain variation in breast cancer recurrence among women diagnosed with breast cancer, using Danish registry data. In my work with Dr. McCullough, I have collaborated with the Georgia Cancer Registry to characterize the racial disparities in breast cancer mortality in the metropolitan Atlanta area. I have led GCR projects to examine variation in racial disparities in Atlanta by patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics, and how measures of structural racism—redlining and lending bias—impact breast cancer mortality. I also have methodologic interests in Bayesian statistics, quantitative bias analysis, and efficient design of validation substudies. At the Huntsman Cancer Institute, I was awarded a TL1 postdoctoral fellowship and a V foundation Thrivership award, which aim to understand the role of comorbidities and tumor immune biomarkers on racial/ethnic disparities in ovarian cancer treatment, treatment response, and outcomes.

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I graduated from the PhD Program in the Department of Epidemiology at Emory University Rollins School of Public Health in December of 2020. For my dissertation, under Dr. McCullough’s mentorship, I used smartphone-generated data to study the effect of bicycle infrastructure on bicycling and bicyclist crashes in Atlanta. My specific focus was thinking about potential biases and study-design-related issues that could arise from the use of these data sources in epidemiology. I was awarded an F31 predoctoral fellowship from NIH to fund my dissertation research and have co-authored 13 peer-reviewed publications. I am currently a Geospatial Epidemiologist with the Geospatial Research, Analysis, and Services Program (GRASP) at CDC and ATSDR. 

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I am an Assistant Professor in the Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery at the Emory School of Medicine and in the Department of Epidemiology at the Rollins School of Public Health. I am a social epidemiologist and health services researcher with a primary focus on improving access to and outcomes from solid organ transplantation. I am especially interested in studying how access to care and care quality influence racial, socioeconomic, and geographic disparities in outcomes among patients with liver disease.

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I received my PhD in Epidemiology from Emory University in 2021. I am currently working at the CDC in their Epidemic Intelligence Service program. Previously, I received my BS in nutrition and exercise from Virginia Tech in 2011, and my MPH from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2013. My core research interest is in identifying and understanding factors associated with improved outcomes across the cancer continuum, with hopes of informing interventions and clinical recommendations to both prevent cancer and improve the lives of those already diagnosed with cancer.

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Chava has over 12 years’ experience overseeing research projects at Emory. She has extensive management experience with both clinical and behavioral health projects related to breast cancer disparities, HIV, TB and emergency preparedness in jails.

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Micah is a Senior Data Analyst in the Epidemiology department at Emory University with the privilege of working with Dr. Lauren McCullough’s research group and the Georgia Center for Cancer Statistics. He earned a Master of Public Health degree from Georgia State University with a concentration in Biostatistics after working for 10+ years in the field of product development and design. Micah’s professional goals are to provide support for the generation, application and diffusion of knowledge aimed at improving the lives of vulnerable populations and contributing to the health and well-being of populations through the application of science and technology.

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