Dr. Thompson's research is focused on understanding how cancer is diagnosed in order to improve earlier detection, reducing disparities in cancer care delivery, and promoting methodological rigor in the use of "real world data" for quantitative population heath research. These research interests reflect her formal training in cancer epidemiology, data science, and epidemiologic methods, her postdoctoral period as an AcademyHealth Delivery Systems Science Fellow, and her passion for improving equity in cancer outcomes. For her first R01, Dr. Thompson will study the detection of cancer in the emergency room, which is an understudied source of cancer disparities in the United States. This epidemiologic study will: a) describe the frequency of "emergency presentation," including which cancers are initially detected in an emergency setting across populations defined by demographics, socioeconomics, and geography, b) estimate the survival implications of a cancer initially detected in emergency (vs. another ambulatory) setting, and c) investigate care delivery patterns that precede emergency diagnoses, to identify missed opportunities for earlier detection.