Meet the DCCPS New and Early Stage R01 Investigators
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Evan M. Graboyes, MD, MPH, FACS
Medical University of South Carolina
Surgical Oncologist and Cancer Care Delivery Scientist/Researcher
I became interested in body image concerns among cancer survivors through my surgical practice. I would routinely see head and neck cancer survivors with disfigurement, difficulty swallowing, impaired smiling, and difficulty speaking. Although free of cancer, they suffered from downstream social isolation, stigma, depression, and poor quality of life. This experience fueled my passion to address this critical unmet need among cancer survivors. -
Daniel L. Hertz, PharmD, PhD
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Cancer Clinical Pharmacology and Biomarker Scientist/Researcher
My passion for cancer research and advocacy began when I lost my mom to breast cancer when I was 12. Later, as a PhD student in 2010, I began working on discovering predictive biomarkers of paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy. When I found out in 2011 that my mom had received paclitaxel and experienced peripheral neuropathy, it made me feel closer to her than I had in years. -
Kelly M. Shaffer, PhD
University of Virginia
Clinical Psychologist and Digital Health Researcher
Through my clinical work and qualitative research, I came to appreciate the many logistical, financial, social, and psychological barriers that restrict cancer survivors' and their family members' access to behavioral health care. I became interested in digital health, given its unique potential to overcome these barriers and to increase the impact of evidence-based interventions. -
Rachel I. Vogel, PhD
University of Minnesota
Epidemiologist and Cancer Survivorship Researcher
My youngest brother was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer, and I became his primary caregiver. As he underwent multiple surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments and experienced significant side effects, I realized the importance of quality of life after a cancer diagnosis. This fuels my passion to identify research gaps which, when addressed, can profoundly improve the quality of life of cancer survivors. -
Lauren P. Wallner, PhD, MPH
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Cancer Care Delivery Researcher
My aha moment came when hearing directly from patients with cancer, their families, and the providers who care for them about their experiences with cancer care. It made me realize we have a lot of work to do to improve care delivery, and we need to broaden how we define and study teams in the context of cancer care delivery. I now try to incorporate as many perspectives as possible from those who are involved, including patients, their support, and all the providers involved in their care.