Staff: Alycia K. Boutté, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Alycia K. Boutté

Alycia K. Boutté, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Former Fellow, Transitioned Outside of the Program

Cancer Research Training Award Fellow
Former Organization:

Alycia K. Boutté, Ph.D., M.P.H., was a Cancer Research Training Award (CRTA) fellow on the Behavioral Research Program's communications team, within the Office of the Associate Director (OAD) from 2019-2021.

As a CRTA fellow, Dr. Boutté was interested in learning how to apply health communication strategies to promote behavioral cancer prevention research. Additionally, she was interested in the connection between mental health, the built environment, and how these impact lifestyle behaviors that are important for chronic disease prevention among minority communities.

Dr. Boutté earned her Ph.D. in Health Promotion, Education, & Behavior from the University of South Carolina. During her doctoral program, she helped implement a healthy lifestyle intervention targeting excessive gestational weight gain among pregnant women with overweight or obesity in South Carolina. Her dissertation examined associations between mental health, neighborhood food access, and diet quality among these women using quantitative and geospatial techniques. Additionally, she investigated potential disparities in diet quality by race and residential location. Under the guidance of her mentors, she was awarded an NIH Diversity Supplement Grant to support her dissertation research.

Throughout her doctoral studies, Dr. Boutté was acknowledged with multiple awards for her excellence in research and scholarship, including the Breakthrough Graduate Scholar Award, SPARC Graduate Research Grant, Outstanding Student Abstract Award, and South Carolina Public Health Association's Public Health Scholarship. Most recently, she received the Christopher Peter Aluah Outstanding Doctoral Student Award for her scholarship, leadership, and service in public health.

Dr. Boutté received her M.P.H. in health promotion/behavioral science from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Austin Regional Campus, and her B.S. in psychology from Xavier University of Louisiana.


"Where are they now?": Following up with past BRP fellows
Updated June 2021

Current Title
Training Program Coordinator
Columbus Technologies and Services, Inc.

How has your BRP fellowship influenced your career?
My BRP fellowship allowed me to improve several skills including writing, oral communication, social media management, project management, teamwork, and mentorship skills. My fellowship also allowed me several opportunities to explore multiple career options and avenues. Some of the most influential things I did were lots of informational interviews, working with a career counselor with OITE, self-reflection, and participating in NCI's Career Mentorship Advantage Program.

Describe a favorite memory or two from your fellowship experience.
One of my favorite memories is the BRP potluck where everyone made a dish that represented their hometown or their culture. The event fostered community and new conversations among colleagues not to mention the wide array of delicious food!

Describe your current position, your current organization, and what you do.
I am a Training Program Coordinator with Columbus Technologies and Services, Inc. working with the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)'s Office of Fellowship Training. I provide a variety of administrative, programmatic, and coordination services to support the professional and career development of NIMH trainees.

Awards, Honors, and Recognitions

  • Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences Outstanding Fellow Award, October 2020



Current and/or past BRP mentors include Mimi Lising.


Selected Publications and Presentations

To request edits to this profile, please contact us at ncidccpsbrpadvances@mail.nih.gov.