Community Engagement Advisory Council

LUNGevity is proud to be guided and inspired by our Community Engagement Advisory Council, made up of leaders from a variety of lived experiences, racial/ethnic identities, gender identities, geographies, organizational settings, areas of professional expertise, and career stages. Together, we are committed to ensuring that all people diagnosed with lung cancer have the same opportunities for best-case outcomes and access to trusted resources, irrespective of their geographic location, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, age, or marginalization in society.

Members of the Community Engagement Advisory Council meet annually to optimize the impact of the Foundation’s national community-network strategy focused on health literacy, lung cancer screening, biomarker testing, and inclusion in clinical trials.

Community Engagement Advisory Council

LeeAnn Bailey, MBBS, PhD, MS

National Cancer Institute
Chief of the Integrated Networks Branch, CRCHD

Dr. Bailey develops, and assesses strategies for enhancing the integration and dissemination of diversity training, women’s health, and sexual and gender minority efforts within and across NCI, as well as within the scientific community and underserved communities through NCI-supported networks.

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LeeAnn Bailey is Chief of the Integrated Networks Branch of the NCI’s CRCHD since 2016. In this role, she manages, develops, and assesses strategies for enhancing the integration and dissemination of diversity training, women’s health, and sexual and gender minority efforts within and across NCI, as well as within the scientific community and underserved communities through NCI-supported networks. She also identifies and leverages opportunities to address unmet needs in cancer health disparities research.

Prior to joining NCI, she was a healthcare consultant at Deloitte Consulting LLP. She has also been a principal investigator researching tissue engineered products and cellular inflammatory responses at the National Institute of Standards and Technology as well as an adjunct professor at Morgan State University.

Dr. Bailey received her M.B.B.S (M.D. equivalent) from the University of Adelaide Medical School with an emphasis on aboriginal health and pediatric oncology. Dr. Bailey also has a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and a M.S. in Biological and Physical Sciences from the University of Virginia School of Medicine.

Selected Publications

Springfield SA, Van Duyn MAS, Aguila HN, et al. The NCI Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities: Moving Forward to Eliminate Cancer Health Disparities and Diversify the Cancer Biomedical Workforce. J Natl Med Assoc. 2020;112(3):308-314. doi:10.1016/j.jnma.2020.06.001

San Miguel-Majors SL, Whitaker DE, Davis BC, Bailey LO, Springfield SA. Education on cancer risk assessment and genetic counseling to address cancer health disparities among racial/ethnic groups and rural populations: Implementing culturally tailored outreach through community health educators. J Genet Couns. 2020;29(2):243-246. doi:10.1002/jgc4.1272

Whitaker DE, Snyder FR, San Miguel-Majors SL, Bailey LO, Springfield SA. Screen to Save: Results from NCI's Colorectal Cancer Outreach and Screening Initiative to Promote Awareness and Knowledge of Colorectal Cancer in Racial/Ethnic and Rural Populations. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2020;29(5):910-917. doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-19-0972

Franco I, Bailey LO, Bakos AD, Springfield SA. The Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (CURE): a model for training underserved scientists in cancer research. J Cancer Educ. 2011;26(1):92-96. doi:10.1007/s13187-010-0126-6

Carla Berg, PhD, MBA, LP

George Washington Cancer Center
Associate Center Director for Population Sciences and Policy
Milken Institute School of Public Health
Interim Vice Provost for Research
Professor, Department of Prevention and Community Health

Dr. Berg’s research primary focuses on socio-contextual factors related to substance use, particularly tobacco and marijuana, ranging from macro-level factors such as policy and marketing to interpersonal and individual factors.

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Dr. Carla Berg is a Professor of the Department of Prevention and Community Health in the Milken Institute School of Public Health and the Associate Center Director for Population Sciences and Policy within the George Washington Cancer Center. Her research primary focuses on sociocontextual factors related to substance use, particularly tobacco and marijuana, ranging from macro-level factors such as policy and marketing to interpersonal and individual factors. Dr. Berg has also conducted research on health behaviors and quality of live among cancer survivors, and has conducted large-scale survey studies involving cross sectional and longitudinal designs, mixed-methods studies, and individual- and community-level randomized control trials.

Selected Publications

Berg CJ, Duan X, Romm K, et al. Young adults' vaping, readiness to quit, and recent quit attempts: The role of co-use with cigarettes and marijuana [published online ahead of print, 2020 Dec 17]. Nicotine Tob Res. 2020;ntaa265. doi:10.1093/ntr/ntaa265

Li J, Berg CJ, Weber AA, et al. Tobacco Use at the Intersection of Sex and Sexual Identity in the U.S., 2007-2020: A Meta-Analysis [published online ahead of print, 2020 Nov 17]. Am J Prev Med. 2020;S0749-3797(20)30437-2. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2020.09.006

Cahn Z, Drope J, Douglas CE, et al. Applying the Population Health Standard to the Regulation of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems [published online ahead of print, 2020 Sep 22]. Nicotine Tob Res. 2020;ntaa190. doi:10.1093/ntr/ntaa190

Berg CJ, Yang YT, Pratt-Chapman ML, et al. Campus tobacco control policies and cessation interventions in college students: a commentary calling for research and action to address tobacco-related health disparities [published online ahead of print, 2020 Sep 7]. Transl Behav Med. 2020;ibaa083. doi:10.1093/tbm/ibaa083

Berg CJ, Haardörfer R, Lanier A, et al. Tobacco Use Trajectories in Young Adults: Analyses of Predictors Across Systems Levels. Nicotine Tob Res. 2020;22(11):2075-2084. doi:10.1093/ntr/ntaa048

Berg CJ, Vanderpool RC, Getachew B, et al. A Hope-Based Intervention to Address Disrupted Goal Pursuits and Quality of Life Among Young Adult Cancer Survivors. J Cancer Educ. 2020;35(6):1158-1169. doi:10.1007/s13187-019-01574-7

Narjust Florez, MD

Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center
Associate Director, Cancer Care Equity Program
Thoracic medical oncologist

Dr. Narjust Florez is the Associate Director of the Cancer Care Equity Program and a thoracic medical oncologist at the Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center.

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She completed her internal medicine residency at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota where she was the chief fellow from 2018-2019.

Dr. Florez's clinical interests include targeted therapy for lung cancer and the care of women with lung cancer, including their unique aspects of cancer survivorship. She is the principal investigator of the Sexual Health Assessment in Women with Lung Cancer (SHAWL) Study, the largest study to date evaluating sexual dysfunction in women with lung cancer.

Apart from her clinical interests in lung cancer, she is also a leading and productive researcher in cancer health disparities, gender and racial discrimination in medical education and medicine. She received many awards including the 2018 Resident of the Year Award by the National Hispanic Medical Association, the Mayo Brothers Distinguished Fellowship award, and the 2020 Rising Star award by the LEAD national conference for women in hematology and oncology.

In addition, Dr. Florez founded the Duma Lab in 2019. The laboratory focuses on lung cancer, social justice issues in medicine, and medical education. The laboratory's long-term goals are to create a welcoming environment for medical trainees from historically underrepresented groups in medicine while improving the care of vulnerable populations. Members of the Duma Lab are agents of change.

Selected Publications

Duma N, Lambertini M. It Is Time to Talk About Fertility and Immunotherapy. Oncologist. 2020;25(4):277-278. doi:10.1634/theoncologist.2019-0837

Duma N. Gender differences in publication rates in oncology: Looking at the past, present, and future. Cancer. 2020;126(12):2759-2761. doi:10.1002/cncr.32819

Duma N, Kothadia SM, Azam TU, et al. Characterization of Comorbidities Limiting the Recruitment of Patients in Early Phase Clinical Trials. Oncologist. 2019;24(1):96-102. doi:10.1634/theoncologist.2017-0687

Duma N, Durani U, Woods CB, et al. Evaluating Unconscious Bias: Speaker Introductions at an International Oncology Conference. J Clin Oncol. 2019;37(36):3538-3545. doi:10.1200/JCO.19.01608

Duma N, Azam T, Riaz IB, Gonzalez-Velez M, Ailawadhi S, Go R. Representation of Minorities and Elderly Patients in Multiple Myeloma Clinical Trials. Oncologist. 2018;23(9):1076-1078. doi:10.1634/theoncologist.2017-0592

Idossa D, Duma N, Chekhovskiy K, Go R, Ailawadhi S. Commentary: Race and Ethnicity in Biomedical Research - Classifications, Challenges, and Future Directions. Ethn Dis. 2018;28(4):561-564. Published 2018 Oct 18. doi:10.18865/ed.28.4.561

Duma N, Vera Aguilera J, Paludo J, et al. Representation of Minorities and Women in Oncology Clinical Trials: Review of the Past 14 Years. J Oncol Pract. 2018;14(1):e1-e10. doi:10.1200/JOP.2017.025288

Marvella Ford, PhD

Medical University of South Carolina
Hollings Cancer Center
Associate Professor for Bioinformatics and Epidemiology
Associate Director of Cancer Disparities

Dr. Ford’s research focuses on personal and socioeconomic factors impacting cancer screening and detection among underserved and minority populations such as race, gender, and education.

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Dr. Marvella Ford is an Associate Professor for Bioinformatics and Epidemiology and Associate Director of Cancer Disparities at the Hollings Cancer Center. Dr. Ford’s research focuses on personal and socioeconomic factors impacting cancer screening and detection among underserved and minority populations such as race, gender, and education. She studies the impact of targeted interventions on health care behavior and methods for improving informed decision making for cancer screening. She has developed research methods to remove barriers and facilitate recruitment and retention of patients in clinical trials, particularly among African Americans and underserved populations. Dr. Ford’s research interests include evaluating the impact of patient navigation intervention on health care behavior, developing and testing methods to improve cancer surveillance adherence, developing and testing methods to improve cancer screening adherence, and improving informed decision making for prostate cancer screening.

Selected Publications

Ford ME, Geurtsen GJ, Groet E, Van Bennekom CAM, Van Someren EJW. A blended eHealth intervention for insomnia following acquired brain injury: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2020;21(1):861. Published 2020 Oct 16. doi:10.1186/s13063-020-04789-y

Rivera MP, Katki HA, Tanner NT, et al. Addressing Disparities in Lung Cancer Screening Eligibility and Healthcare Access. An Official American Thoracic Society Statement. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2020;202(7):e95-e112. doi:10.1164/rccm.202008-3053ST

Felder TM, Heiney SP, Hebert JR, et al. Improving Adherence to Adjuvant Hormonal Therapy Among Disadvantaged Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer in South Carolina: Proposal for a Multimethod Study. JMIR Res Protoc. 2020;9(9):e17742. Published 2020 Sep 3. doi:10.2196/17742

Cartmell KB, Bonilha HS, Simpson KN, Ford ME, Bryant DC, Alberg AJ. Patient barriers to cancer clinical trial participation and navigator activities to assist. Adv Cancer Res. 2020;146:139-166. doi:10.1016/bs.acr.2020.01.008

Ford ME, Abraham-Hilaire LM, Bryant DC, et al. Evaluating a Media Strategy to Provide Health Messages to Medically Underserved Populations. J Natl Med Assoc. 2019;111(3):270-280. doi:10.1016/j.jnma.2018.10.002

Regnante JM, Richie NA, Fashoyin-Aje L, Vichnin M, Ford ME, Roy UB, Turner K, Hall LL, González ET, Esnaola NF, Clark LT, Adams HC III, Alese OB, Gogineni K, McNeil LH, Petereit DG, Sargeant I, Dang JH, Obasaju C, Highsmith Q, Craddock Lee SJ, Hoover SC, Williams EL, Chen MS Jr.: US Cancer Centers of Excellence strategies for increased inclusion of racial and ethnic minorities in clinical trials. J Oncol Prac DOI 10.1200/JOP.18.00638 (JOP Editors Pick Award 2019) http://ascopubs.org/doi/full/10.1200/JOP.18.00638

Raymond Osarogiagbon, MD

Baptist Cancer Center
Director of the Multidisciplinary Thoracic Oncology Program
Vanderbilt University
Research Professor
Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center
Research Member

Dr. Osarogiagbon is interested on improving population-based systems of care, improving the accuracy of cancer staging and evaluating the biologic drivers of outcome differences in potentially curable lung cancer.

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Dr. Raymond Osarogiagbon is an oncologist specialized in hematology and oncology. Dr. Osarogiagbon serves as the director of the Multidisciplinary Thoracic Oncology Program at Baptist Cancer Center. He is focused on helping all patients benefit from the latest advances, regardless of where they live. Dr. Osarogiagbon and his colleagues have developed a kit that helps surgical teams collect the full spectrum of information needed to determine the best care for each patient.

Dr. Osarogiagbon’s interests center around improving population-based systems of care, improving the accuracy of cancer staging and evaluating the biologic drivers of outcome differences in potentially curable lung cancer.

Selected Publications

Osarogiagbon RU, Sineshaw HM, Lin CC, Jemal A. Institution-level differences in quality and outcomes of lung cancer resections in the United States [published online ahead of print, 2020 Nov 13]. Chest. 2020;S0012-3692(20)35134-5. doi:10.1016/j.chest.2020.10.075

Verhoeven D, Chollette V, Lazzara EH, Shuffler ML, Osarogiagbon RU, Weaver SJ. The Anatomy and Physiology of Teaming in Cancer Care Delivery: A Conceptual Framework [published online ahead of print, 2020 Oct 27]. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2020;djaa166. doi:10.1093/jnci/djaa166

Unger JM, Hershman DL, Till C, et al. "When offered to participate:" A systematic review and meta-analysis of patient agreement to participate in cancer clinical trials [published online ahead of print, 2020 Oct 6]. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2020;djaa155. doi:10.1093/jnci/djaa155

Unger JM, Hershman DL, Osarogiagbon RU, et al. Representativeness of Black Patients in Cancer Clinical Trials Sponsored by the National Cancer Institute Compared With Pharmaceutical Companies. JNCI Cancer Spectr. 2020;4(4):pkaa034. Published 2020 Apr 24. doi:10.1093/jncics/pkaa034

Osarogiagbon RU, Ray MA, Faris NR, Smeltzer MP. Response to Clinical Thoughts on Mediastinal Node Management in Early-Stage Lung Cancer. J Thorac Oncol. 2020;15(11):e185-e186. doi:10.1016/j.jtho.2020.08.028

Smeltzer MP, Osarogiagbon RU. Out of the Darkness, Into Light: The Scientific Rigor of Lung Cancer Clinical Trials in the Age of Enlightenment. J Thorac Oncol. 2020;15(7):1110-1112. doi:10.1016/j.jtho.2020.04.025

Manali I. Patel MD, MPH, MS

Stanford University School of Medicine
Assistant Professor
VA Palo Alto Health Care System
Staff Oncologist

Dr. Manali I. Patel is a medical thoracic oncologist and health services researcher at the Stanford University School of Medicine and the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System.

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She obtained her MD and Masters in Public Health at UNC-Chapel Hill and completed her Internal Medicine residency, fellowship in Hematology and Oncology, and Masters in Science in Health Services Research at Stanford University. Dr. Patel's research involves evaluating systems-level and social factors that influence disparities in cancer. Her expertise lies in designing, implementing, and evaluating new models of cancer care delivery through community-based participatory research. She collaborates with academic, community, and VA oncology practices to improve patient experiences with care, clinical outcomes, and reduce unwanted healthcare utilization and health disparities. Dr. Patel also has expertise in linking large cancer registries to investigate modifiable etiologies for disparate care receipt among populations.

Scout, MA, PhD

National LGBT Cancer Network
Executive Director

Scout leads a team at National LGBT Cancer Network that focus on building tools and sharing strategies across state departments of health.

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Scout is the Executive Director of the National LGBT Cancer Network and the principal investigator of the CDC founded LGBTQ tobacco-related cancer disparity network. He leads a team that focus on building tools and sharing strategies across state departments of health.

Scout is an expert cultural competency trainer and sought-after public speaker. He has a long history in health policy analysis and a particular interest in expanding LGBTQ+ surveillance and research.

Selected Publications

Boehmer U, Gereige J, Winter M, Ozonoff A, Scout N. Transgender individuals' cancer survivorship: Results of a cross-sectional study. Cancer. 2020;126(12):2829-2836. doi:10.1002/cncr.32784

Kamen CS, Alpert A, Margolies L, et al. "Treat us with dignity": a qualitative study of the experiences and recommendations of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) patients with cancer. Support Care Cancer. 2019;27(7):2525-2532. doi:10.1007/s00520-018-4535-0

Scout NFN. Transgender health and well-being: Gains and opportunities in policy and law. Am J Orthopsychiatry. 2016;86(4):378-383. doi:10.1037/ort0000192

Reisner SL, Conron K, Scout N, Mimiaga MJ, Haneuse S, Austin SB. Comparing In-Person and Online Survey Respondents in the U.S. National Transgender Discrimination Survey: Implications for Transgender Health Research. LGBT Health. 2014;1(2):98-106. doi:10.1089/lgbt.2013.0018

Nichelle Stigger

Patient Advocate
Member, LUNGevity Board of Directors

Nichelle is a lung cancer survivor-advocate with a goal to speak as an African American woman experiencing cancer, the equitable treatment of people of color in cancer, and diminishing the stigma of lung cancer.

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Nichelle Stigger is a lung cancer survivor-advocate, part of LUNGevity’s Board of Directors. Her goal is to speak as an African American woman experiencing cancer, the equitable treatment of people of color in cancer, and diminishing the stigma of lung cancer. Nichelle wants to be the voice for others who cannot be at that table.

Nichelle was diagnosed in 2016 with a rare form of lung cancer, mucinous adenocarcinoma, found in only 1% of cancer patients. As of 2017, she has been cancer-free, following two surgeries and removing her left lobe and lymph nodes. She is an educator in Illinois and an advocate for equality in education.

Karriem S. Watson, DHSC, MS, MPH

Mile Square Health Center
Associate Executive Director
University of Illinois Cancer Center at UIC
Associate Director of Community Outreach and Engagement
UIC School of Public Health
Research Assistant Professor

Dr. Watson’s research is focused on cancer prevention and control and mitigating the impact of social determinants of health on chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.

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Dr. Karriem Watson is a Community Health Scientist who serves as the Associate Executive Director of the Mile Square Health Center, a group of Federally Qualified Health Clinics affiliated with the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System. Dr. Watson also serves as the Associate Director of Community Outreach and Engagement for the University of Illinois Cancer Center at UIC and has a faculty appointment in the UIC School of Public Health as Research Assistant Professor.

Dr. Watson’s research is focused on cancer prevention and control and mitigating the impact of social determinants of health on chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. His research and publications are focused in community engagement and health equity, and expanding diversity in clinical trials.

Selected Publications

Kim SJ, Ramirez-Valles J, Watson K, et al. Fostering health equity research: Development and implementation of the Center for Health Equity Research (CHER) Chicago. J Clin Transl Sci. 2019;4(1):53-60. Published 2019 Dec 17. doi:10.1017/cts.2019.415

Watson KS, Henderson V, Murray M, et al. Engaging African American Men as Citizen Scientists to Validate a Prostate Cancer Biomarker: Work-in-Progress. Prog Community Health Partnersh. 2019;13(5):103-112. doi:10.1353/cpr.2019.0043

Giachello AL, Watson KS, Stuart M, et al. Community-Academic Partnerships to Reduce Cancer Inequities: The ChicagoCHEC Community Engagement Core. Prog Community Health Partnersh. 2019;13(5):21-37. doi:10.1353/cpr.2019.0032

Murray M, Campbell C, Kendall L, Whitt-Glover MC, Watson KS. Perspectives from Project Brotherhood: Facilitating Engagement of African American Men in Research. Prog Community Health Partnersh. 2019;13(5):137-142. doi:10.1353/cpr.2019.0047

Robert Winn, MD

VCU Massey Cancer Center
Director

Dr. Winn is committed to developing methods to eliminate health disparities by empowering underserved patient populations, improve health-care deliver, and ensuring equal access to cutting-edge medical treatments.

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Dr. Robert Winn serves as the Director of VCU Massey Cancer Center where he oversees an NCI designated cancer center. Dr. Winn is committed to community-engaged research centered on eliminating health disparities. Dr. Winn is a pulmonologist whose scholarship has focused on lung cancer, health disparities, and community-based health care. His research focuses on the mechanisms that drive the proliferation of cancer on the role of cellular senescence in lung cancer. He is committed to developing methods to eliminate health disparities by empowering underserved patient populations, improve health-care deliver, and ensuring equal access to cutting-edge medical treatments.

In October 2021, Dr. Winn received the inaugural Association of American Cancer Institute’s Cancer Health Equity Award for his passionate commitment to improving health equity and his significant positive impact on cancer care in Virginia.

Selected Publications

Newman LA, Winn RA, Carethers JM. Similarities in Risk for COVID-19 and Cancer Disparities. Clin Cancer Res. 2021;27(1):24-27. doi:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-20-3421

Tossas KY, Watson KS, Colditz GA, Thomas CR, Stewart JH, Winn RA. Advocating for a "Community to bench model" in the 21st century. EBioMedicine. 2020;53:102688. doi:10.1016/j.ebiom.2020.102688

Ko NY, Hong S, Winn RA, Calip GS. Association of Insurance Status and Racial Disparities With the Detection of Early-Stage Breast Cancer. JAMA Oncol. 2020;6(3):385-392. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2019.5672

Tossas-Milligan KY, Winn RA. Breaking the Cycle of Health Inequities: The Bioethics of Data. J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2019;30(4S):86-90. doi:10.1353/hpu.2019.0119

Watson KS, Hulbert A, Henderson V, et al. Lung Cancer Screening and Epigenetics in African Americans: The Role of the Socioecological Framework. Front Oncol. 2019;9:87. Published 2019 Mar 12. doi:10.3389/fonc.2019.00087