Faculty & Staff

Faculty

Lucile L. Adams-Campbell, Ph.D. is Distinguished University Professor, Founding Director, Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Prevention, Associate Director of Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Senior Associate Dean for Community Outreach and Engagement. Dr. Adams-Campbell is a cancer epidemiologist with over 30 years of experience in the field. She is an internationally recognized expert in minority health and health disparities research and is a member of the National Academy of Medicine.  She has co-led two of the largest national cohort studies, the Women’s Health Initiative and the Black Women’s Health study for over two decades. She currently focuses primarily on metabolic syndrome and cancer with emphasis on diet and exercise interventions. Dr. Adams-Campbell received her undergraduate (biology) and master’s degree (biomedical science) from Drexel University; and her Ph.D. in epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh.

Chiranjeev Dash, MBBS, Ph.D., MPH (Cancer Epidemiologist) is Associate Professor of Oncology and Assistant Director of Minority Health and Health Disparities Research at Lombardi. Dr. Dash’s research focuses on cancer epidemiology and prevention intervention studies among minorities and medically underserved populations. Some of his ongoing research projects include investigating the molecular epidemiology of oxidative stress among African-Americans, a pilot study of exercise among African-American men, and a study on the association of endocrine disruptors with breast density among women undergoing breast cancer screening. Dr. Dash is also part of transdisciplinary teams conducting research on physical activity interventions in high-risk health disparity populations, oral health disparities in the District of Columbia, and impact of environmental exposures on breast cancer.

Traci N. Bethea, MPA, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Her research focuses on chemical and non-chemical stressors underlying cancer health disparities affecting Black women with a particular focus on estrogen receptor negative breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Her current work continues research on breast cancer subtypes in African American women and also examines risk factors for ovarian cancer and for sleep disturbances. Her research on modifiable factors and breast cancer survivorship is supported by a career development award from the National Cancer Institute. New research directions involve the study of environmental and social factors as predictors of health disparities in cancer incidence and survivorship and aims to “bridge the gap” between the biologic, individual, and macroenvironmental levels. Dr. Bethea received a PhD in Environmental Health from Boston University School of Public Health and completed postdoctoral training in cancer epidemiology with the Black Women’s Health Study at the Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University.

Kepher H. Makambi, Ph.D. (Associate Professor of Biostatistics) works in the Department of Biostatistics, Bioinformatics, and Biomathematics. He received his Ph.D. in statistics from the University of Dortmund (Germany). Dr. Makambi has many years of collaborative experience in the design and analysis of community intervention trials, behavioral studies, epidemiologic studies, basic science studies including proteomics and glycomics. His research interests include statistical methods in meta-analysis, adaptive design methods in clinical trials, structural equation modeling, statistical methods in epidemiology, and application of complex survey methods.

Collaborating Faculty

Alejandra de Mendoza, PhD (Research Instructor in the Cancer Prevention and Control Program) Dr. Hurtado is a bilingual Social Psychologist with training in Anthropology and Communication, Culture, and Technology. In the last ten years, she has conducted research on health disparities with underserved ethnically/racially diverse populations including Latinos and African Americans. Some of her ongoing research projects in translational genomics include the development of culturally adapted interventions to enhance the use of genetic counseling services in Latina women and Black women at-risk of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. She is also developing a Social Network Research Registry to enhance the engagement of Latina breast cancer survivors in research. 

Tawara D. Goode, MA (Assistant Professor and Director of the Georgetown University National Center for Cultural Competence, Center for Child and Human Development)  Professor Goode is actively involved in the development and implementation of programs and initiatives in the area of cultural and linguistic competency at local, national, and international levels.  She had a primary role in developing curricula, assessment instruments, professional development series, and other resources that support cultural and linguistic competence in academic and clinical settings.  Her research projects and interests focus on the role of cultural and linguistic competence in addressing health and health care disparities and increasing the participation of underrepresented racial and, ethnic, and cultural groups in all aspects of research.  

Kristi D. Graves, Ph.D. (Behavioral Scientist) is an Associate Professor of Oncology and in the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Graves received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and completed post-doctoral training at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Graves has led a PCORI-funded project to test an intervention that aims to help Latina breast cancer survivors and their caregivers improve their quality of life. Dr. Graves collaborated with Nueva Vida, Inc (Washington DC) and three other community organizations (two in New York and one in California) on this effort. Dr. Graves is also co-leading an R01-funded project to explore symptoms experienced by patients diagnosed with thyroid cancer who received radioactive iodine treatment. She is also leading a pilot study to understand the experience of stigma among African American, Latina and Chinese American breast and cervical cancer survivors. In prior work, Dr. Graves investigated ways to inform people about genetic testing for genetic changes related to small increases in cancer risk. She is interested in translational research and research that improves cancer survivorship.

Bridget Oppong, MD (Adjunct Assistant Professor of Oncology) Throughout her medical training, Dr. Oppong has maintained an interest in disparities research impacting women’s health, specifically in breast cancer outcomes, triple negative breast cancer and young women’s fertility after cancer diagnosis. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and her MD and General Surgery Residency from the University of Rochester School of Medicine. She obtained additional training as a Breast Surgical Oncology Fellow at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

Staff

Mary Gleason Mills, NP (Family Nurse Practitioner) provides medical screening for research participants. She has experience caring for patients with hematologic and oncologic malignancies across the continuum of care. She also has experience providing supportive care and education involving clinical research protocols in the bone marrow transplant setting. Ms. Gleason received her undergraduate degrees in journalism and nursing from Northwestern University and the University of Virginia, respectively, and her master of science in nursing from Georgetown University.

Nathaly González, BS (Bilingual Patient Navigator/Community Outreach Coordinator with the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Prevention)  provides navigation from outreach, education, screening to diagnostic services in community settings. She navigates patients throughout the DC metropolitan region and conducts community outreach in underserved areas. Originally from Colombia, South America, Nathaly is a graduate of the University of Autonoma in International Commerce and also of Benedict College where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management.

Rhonda Hamilton, MPA (Community Liaison and Patient Navigator)received her master’s degree in public administration from Southeastern University. She was raised in the District and has spent the past 13 years working in the community and advocating on behalf of residents. Ms. Hamilton is actively engaged in recruitment for environmental and breast health studies. She also schedules patients for mammography screenings throughout the District Maryland and Virginia as a patient navigator with the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Prevention.

Jennifer Hicks, MS (Certified Cancer Exercise Specialist) develops and conducts exercise interventions for clinical trials which focus on physical activity and cancer risk and prevention. She also helps to create community-based exercise programs designed to reduce cancer disparities among the underserved and ethnic minority populations. Ms. Hicks received her MS in exercise physiology from Howard University and her second MS in Tumor Biology from Georgetown University.

Sherieda T. Muthra, MS (Program Manager) manages and oversees daily activities and regulatory requirements of the NCA M/U NCORP. Sherieda joined the Georgetown Lombardi Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities Research in 2010. Her focus is community outreach and the reduction of health disparities in underserved and minority populations in the District of Columbia. Ms. Muthra
received her Master of Science in Cancer Biology, Prevention, and Control through the University of the District of Columbia and the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University Medical Center.