Cancer Control and Survivorship
Overview
The Cancer Control and Survivorship (CCS) research program has more than 50 members spanning the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, the David Geffen School of Medicine, the UCLA School of Nursing and College of Letters and Sciences. The CCS research program has the breadth and depth of expertise to tackle existing and emerging cancer control problems, from genomics and epigenetics, to machine learning, smarter cancer screening strategies, and quality improvement and implementation science—to apply to all populations and to guide cancer care delivery from primary prevention through end-of-life settings.
To accomplish its specific aims, the CCS research program draws on a cadre of experienced investigators who are leading world class programs that span the cancer control continuum. With critical expertise in epigenetics, genomics, screening, disparities research, cancer screening and early detection, quality of care (diagnostics and care delivery), survivorship and palliative care, CCS members are making important contributions to how cancer is prevented, diagnosed, and managed, with innovations in methodology and a focus on implementation in real world settings. CCS members have a long history of nurturing new scientists, and to this end, has successfully engaged new faculty members in the research program. To the extent possible, the CCS members focus on translating what is learned from their research, and what they know is effective, into the community and the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center's catchment area.
Specific Aims
The primary objective of the CCS research program is to reduce the avoidable cancer burden at the population level by conducting transdisciplinary research that impacts cancer risk, early detection, and health outcomes among cancer patients and survivors. The specific aims of the research program are:
- To identify risk and protective factors for cancer and test effective strategies for reducing cancer risk in the population
- To study and promote early detection of cancer and to increase uptake of cancer screening at the population level
- To study ways to reduce avoidable morbidity and mortality among patients with cancer and long- term survivors of cancer
Meetings and Seminars
- Workshops, symposia and seminars in collaboration with the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health
- Participation in the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center seminar series that features invited outside and local faculty
- Postdoctoral fellows' journal club
- Research-in-progress meetings with fellows
- Focused retreats on interdisciplinary and translational topics with other cancer center programs
Leadership
Director Dr. Patricia A. Ganz is a board-certified medical oncologist who has been conducting psychosocial and quality of life research with cancer patients and survivors since the early 1980s. Ganz holds professorial appointments in the School of Public Health (Health Policy & Management) and the School of Medicine (Medicine/Hematology-Oncology). Ganz is a pioneer in the assessment of quality of life in cancer patients and is active in clinical trials research with the NRG Oncology, conducting outcome studies in breast cancer patients. Her most recent research addresses the late effects of cancer treatment, with a special focus on fatigue, depression, and cancer-related cognitive impairment. In recent NCI funded observational and intervention research projects, she and colleagues are working to improve outcomes for patients with these persistent symptoms as well as understand the process of accelerated aging in cancer survivors. She has received many national and international awards recognizing her research on the quality-of-life outcomes in cancer patients and for her pioneering work in cancer survivorship, with recent election to the Association of American Physicians and receipt of the AACR-American Cancer Society Award for Research Excellence in Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention. In her clinical practice, Ganz cares for patients at high-risk for hereditary cancer, cancer survivors and early-stage breast cancer patients.
Co-director Roshan Bastani is a professor in the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, and Director of the UCLA Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Equity. She also serves as the director for Disparities and Community Engagement and the co-director for Prevention and Control Research in the Cancer Center. Bastani is a nationally recognized senior leader in the area of cancer disparities research. Her main research interests are in disease prevention and control among disadvantaged groups, with a focus on implementing and evaluating rigorous individual, community, organization and health care system-directed interventions to improve access and reduce disparities. Over the past two decades, she has conducted numerous intervention trials designed to rigorously test the most effective and efficient strategies to promote the uptake of proven cancer control practices and technologies. Her large and diverse research portfolio includes studies focused on HPV vaccine promotion, breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening promotion, liver cancer prevention, and lifestyle behavior promotion.
Co-director Beth Glenn is a professor in the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and Associate Director of the UCLA Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Equity. She also serves as the co-director of Community Outreach and Engagement for the Cancer Center. Her research focus is on conducting scientifically rigorous, yet pragmatic, research to design, implement and evaluate interventions aimed at reducing racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in cancer. She has also conducted research focused on skin cancer prevention among children of Latino and non-Latino white melanoma survivors, lifestyle behaviors among ethnic minority breast and colorectal cancer survivors and breast, prostate and colorectal cancer screening among low income and ethnic minority populations.
Upcoming Events
Below is a list of upcoming events of interest to the Cancer Control and Survivorship Research Program and its members. This calendar is updated automatically.
For a list of all upcoming Cancer Center events, please visit our Events Calendar.
- Denise Aberle, MD *
- William Aronson, MD *
- Deanna J. Attai, MD, FACS
- Jennifer Baker, MD
- Thomas Belin, PhD
- Jonathan Bergman, MD, MPH
- Barbara Berman, PhD
- Julienne Bower, PhD *
- Eden Brauer, PhD, MSN, RN
- Alex Bui, PhD *
- Judith E. Carroll, PhD *
- Jacqueline Casillas, MD, MSHS *
- Karim Chamie, MD, MSHS *
- Chun Chao, PhD, MS
- Dana Chase, MD
- Katherine Chen, MD, PhD
- Burt Cowgill, PhD *
- Carolyn J. Crandall, MD, MS, FACP
- Catherine Crespi, PhD *
- Roger Detels, MD, MS *
- Joann G. Elmore, MD, MPH *
- Yvonne Flores, PhD *
- Feng Gao, PhD
- Lillian Gelberg, MD, MSPH *
- Pamina Gorbach, MHS, DrPH *
- Gail Greendale, MD
- Mia Hashibe, PhD, MPH *
- Susanne M. Henning, PhD, RD
- Alison Herrmann, PhD, MS *
- Felicia Hodge, DrPH
- William Hsu, PhD *
- Michael Irwin, MD *
- Michael Jerrett, PhD *
- Jingran Ji, MD
- Su Yon Jung, PhD, MPH *
- Marjorie Kagawa-Singer, PhD, MA, MN, RN
- Katherine Kahn, MD
- Beth Karlan, MD *
- Leeka Kheifets, MA, PhD
- Amar Kishan, MD *
- Donald M. Lamkin, PhD
- Eunice Lee, PhD, GNP
- Mark Litwin, MD, MPH *
- Elisa F. Long, PhD
- James Macinko, PhD *
- Melinda Maggard Gibbons, MD, MSHS
- Emily J. Martin, MD, MS
- Annette Maxwell, DrPH *
- Fola May, MD, PhD *
- William McCarthy, PhD *
- Susan McCloskey, MD, MSHS
- Marcia McGory Russell, MD *
- Drew Moghanaki, MD, MPH *
- Anna-Barbara Moscicki, MD *
- Corrina Moucheraud, ScD, MPH
- Arash Naeim, MD, PhD *
- Roch Nianogo, MD, PhD
- Akihiro Nishi, MD, MPH, DrPH
- Michael Ong, MD, PhD
- Jeanette Papp, PhD, MS
- Ninez Ponce, PhD *
- Nadereh Pourat, PhD *
- Ashley E. Prosper, MD *
- Ann Raldow, MD, MPH
- Beate Ritz, MD, PhD *
- Wendie Robbins, PhD
- Christopher Saigal, MD, MPH *
- Christine Samuel-Nakamura, PhD, RN, FNP-BC *
- Ricky R. Savjani, MD, PhD
- Robert Schiestl, PhD
- Mina S. Sedrak, MD, MS *
- Mary Sehl, MD, PhD *
- Gregory Senofsky, MD, FACS
- Tina Shih, PhD *
- Joseph D. Shirk, MD
- Paul Spellman , PhD *
- Annette Stanton, PhD *
- Michael Steinberg, MD *
- Peter Szilagyi, MD, MPH *
- Mediget Teshome, MD, MPH, FACS
- Carlie K. Thompson, MD
- Luca Valle, MD *
- Kathleen Van Dyk, PhD *
- Anne M. Walling, MD, PhD *
- May C. Wang, DrPH *
- Neil Wenger, MD, MPH *
- Trudy C. Wu, MD
- Eric Yang, MD
- Zuo-Feng Zhang, MD, PhD *
- Xi Zhu, PhD *
- Yifang Zhu, PhD *
Upcoming Events
Basic / Population Science Careers in Health Care
