Amy Thompson is an Oncology Certified Nurse and the Cancer Survivorship Programs Manager at Nevada Cancer Coalition. She’s been the lead navigator for the coalition’s ThriveNV program for 4 years. Before that, she spent more than a decade in nursing and found her calling in oncology as a bedside nurse before transitioning to the role of Breast Nurse Navigator at a local hospital. Amy’s interest in community health led her to join the coalition and use her oncology and patient navigation experience to build the statewide ThriveNV program to support people diagnosed with cancer and their caregivers.

Her connection to cancer originated from a family history. This family history is combined with compassion for helping others and a desire to learn and advocate for cancer patients. She is honored to work with those affected by cancer and to collaborate with people passionate about empowering others. She is a proud wife and a mother to a teenage son. When not working, she loves being creative, traveling, running, dancing, and spending time outdoors with her family & Golden Retriever “fur kid.”

Katie Jones is the Comprehensive Cancer Control Program Manager at the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS) and the chair of the NACDD Cancer Council. Before joining Iowa HHS, Katie worked at a county health department and at the Iowa Cancer Consortium, Iowa’s cancer coalition. She has a Master of Public Health from the University of Iowa. She lives in Des Moines with her husband and two kids.

C. Kelly Smith, MSW, manages the Comprehensive Cancer Control Program at the Rhode Island Department of Health, where she also chairs its SOGI Equity Work Group. Kelly has worked in public health (and in NCCCP administration) for more than 11 years, during which time she also helped to lead RIDOH’s community response to the COVID pandemic. Kelly received her Master’s degree in Social Work with a concentration in Children and Families from Rhode Island College. She also holds a BFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design. Before pursuing public health, Kelly worked with nonprofit organizations throughout Rhode Island, developing domestic violence prevention and intervention initiatives and LGBTQ+ youth empowerment, as well as supporting tribal health and Indigenous arts organizations. Her consulting practice included bolstering the strategic planning and organizational development skills of diverse nonprofit cultural groups. Kelly is an Adjunct Faculty member at Providence College where she teaches macro Social Work and Women’s and Gender Studies courses. Kelly has also mentored and supervised undergraduate and graduate social work students for over 25 years.

Nikki Hayes has been with the CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control (DCPC) in the agency’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) since 2002. Before joining CDC, she was a Biologist in the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where she established and managed the Institute’s DNA Sequencing Core Facility for more than 10 years. Nikki is currently the Chief of the DCPC Comprehensive Cancer Control Branch and is responsible for the successful implementation of one of the agency’s flagship, multi-million-dollar, cancer prevention and control programs, the National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (NCCCP). She also manages several other programs that focus on improving the quality of life of cancer survivors, particularly young breast cancer survivors and metastatic breast cancer patients; and advancing commercial tobacco use prevention and cancer prevention in populations experiencing tobacco- and cancer-related health disparities. Nikki has published a number of peer-reviewed manuscripts and presented to national audiences on topics that include disparities in cancer-health outcomes; increasing population-based cancer screening; cancer control planning and implementation; and COVID-19 incidence in disparate populations.

Angela Moore, DrPH, MPH, BS, is a distinguished public health leader with a rich academic background. Dr. Moore has had unique experiences in public health at the local, state, and national levels, as well as past experiences in biomedical research in part due to the Minority Access to Research Careers and Public Health Prevention Service fellowships. Holding a Doctorate in Public Health from Georgia Southern University, a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Alabama State University, Dr. Moore’s educational journey reflects her commitment to the field. Dr. Moore’s federal service began at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a Public Health Prevention Service Fellow in 2004. As a Public Health Prevention Service Fellow, she worked in the Division of Tuberculosis Elimination, Field Services and Evaluation Branch conducting program evaluation training; Office on Smoking and Health, Program Services Branch evaluating US-Mexico Border Health initiatives; and the Northwest Georgia Health District developing, implementing, and evaluating Childcare Health Consultation Programs across 10 county health departments. Currently, she serves as Lead for Program Evaluation and Partnership in the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control at CDC. As the Evaluation Lead, she facilitates efforts to develop and implement activities related to partnership sustainability, evaluation capacity building, utilization-focused evaluation, and cancer survivorship.

Dr. Mary Puckett is a Health Scientist in the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She completed her PhD in Molecular and Systems Pharmacology at Emory University, where her research focused on cancer biology and identifying new targets for cancer therapies. Following graduate school, Dr. Puckett completed the Epidemic Intelligence Service fellowship at CDC and joined the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control. Her current research interests include understanding how nutrition and physical activity affect both cancer risk and outcomes for cancer survivors and better understanding the needs of gynecologic cancer survivors.

Allie LaMonica is a Public Health Advisor in CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control (DCPC), Comprehensive Cancer Control Branch (CCCB). In her current role for the Comprehensive Cancer Control Program, she provides guidance and technical assistance to inform her 7 NCCCP and 2 YBCS program’s strategic direction, planning, and implementation in policy, systems, and environmental change approaches. Additionally, Allie supports the branch in other special projects which includes enhancing the use and application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and co-leading the writing and implementation of the next Young Breast Cancer Survivorship NOFO. She is supporting the Scaling What Works project as a facilitator in implementation and adaptation.

Dr. Wheeler is Professor with tenure in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a health services researcher and decision scientist focused on quantifying the social, behavioral, clinical, and organizational factors that affect healthcare access, quality, value and equity.  Her research portfolio, amounting to more than $20million in external funding and over 125 publications, is primarily focused on cancer care delivery, with particular emphasis on improving value, understanding the financial and psychosocial impacts of cancer, and reducing cancer health disparities. Methodologically, she is a resource for simulation modeling and systems science, ‘big data’ linkages and analytics, behavioral intervention studies, mixed methods, and comparative and cost effectiveness research. Dr. Wheeler is especially knowledgeable and well-versed in using economic, epidemiological, and systems modeling to support better healthcare decisions, and she is adept in analyzing complex datasets, including cancer registry data linked to all payer insurance claims data, epidemiological cohort data, healthcare workforce data, and more. Dr. Wheeler directs the CDC-funded and NCI-funded Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (CPCRN) as PI of the Coordinating Center; co-directs the NCI-funded T32 Cancer Care Quality Training Program (CCQTP); and co-directs the NCI-funded Geographic Management of Cancer Heath Disparities Program (GMaP) Region 1 South.  She was appointed to lead the Community Outreach and Engagement office at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center in 2019.  In 2017, she was awarded the Early Career Award from the Association of Schools and Programs in Public Health (ASPPH) and the UNC Hettleman Prize for Scholarly and Artistic Achievement.

Mary Wangen, MPH, is the Project Director for the University of North Carolina’s site of the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network, the Scaling What Works Interest Group, and the NCI-funded study, PharmFIT™, that is testing the effectiveness of expanding access to colorectal cancer screening through community pharmacies. Ms. Wangen also serves as the Training Director for the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Office of Community Outreach and Engagement. She has over eight years of experience in developing and facilitating training courses on evidence-based interventions and in managing cancer prevention and control research studies. She holds an MPH in Public Health, Health Behavior, from the University of North Carolina’s Gillings School of Global Public Health, and a B.A. in Spanish Studies and a Certificate in Interpreting in Healthcare Settings from the University of Minnesota.

Jingle is currently serving as the research assistant at the CPCRN coordinating center. She is a PhD student at UNC School of Nursing. Her research centers on alternative medicine (e.g. diet and physical activity) in cancer care and control.

Dr. Cam Escoffery is a Professor of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education at the Rollins School of Public Health.  She has conducted research for over 29 years on health promotion, cancer prevention and control, health technology, implementation science and evaluation.  Her current research aims to translate cancer evidence-based interventions for cancer screening and HPV vaccine uptake and self-management into practice. She is the PI on a hybrid I effectiveness-implementation trial to evaluate the use of Cancer SurvivorLink on return for follow-up cancer care among pediatric cancer survivors, MPI of the Managing Epilepsy Well  (MEW) Network and PI of  the Emory Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (CPCRN). She has served as PI on grants funded by the National Cancer Institute, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Cancer Society and Healthcare Georgia Foundation. She has over 200 publications and has published widely on various topics in health promotion, dissemination and implementation science, and cancer control research.

Dr. Alison Brenner is a Research Assistant Professor in the Division of General Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology and the Associate Program Director of the Carolina Cancer Screening Initiative at the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of North Carolina. She is a mixed methods researcher with a primary focus on patient-provider shared decision-making in preference sensitive decisions, values clarification methodology, implementation of cancer screening programs, patient decision support implementation, and intervention research. She has particular expertise in colorectal cancer screening implementation in primary care settings, focusing on rural or otherwise underserved populations. Additionally, she has some expertise in lung cancer screening implementation and quality improvement.

Dr. Renee Ferrari is a Research Scientist with the Carolina Cancer Screening Initiative at the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and Adjunct Assistant Professor with the Department of Maternal and Child Health at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health. Her research interests include clinical preventive screening, maternal and child health services, implementation science, and qualitative research methods. Dr. Ferrari’s current focus involves improving cancer screening in North Carolina’s vulnerable populations, specifically colorectal (CRC) and lung cancer. She is exploring patient, provider, and pharmacist perspectives on distributing colorectal cancer screening tests in pharmacies (versus the standard practice of a primary care office) under the premise that pharmacy-based distribution could remove patient barriers and increase CRC screening rates. Related work includes interviews with CRC screening-eligible patients to explore barriers and facilitators to CRC screening and follow-up. In addition, she is working on a project aimed at helping patients make informed decisions about lung cancer screening. Dr. Ferrari has more than a decade of experience in qualitative research aimed at improving health services for vulnerable populations. This experience includes designing studies, planning and executing research, developing data collection tools including interview and focus group guides, analyzing and interpreting data, and synthesizing and disseminating findings. Earlier work prior to academia involved consulting with non-profit organizations to assist them in developing and executing performance evaluation plans to improve the quality of their work with their target populations. Prior to that, she spent several years working within community-based organizations on the front lines of helping marginalized women transition from welfare to work.

Lori Crane is a professor in the Department of Community & Behavioral Health at the Colorado School of Public Health. She received her MPH and PhD in public health from UCLA, with an emphasis on behavioral science and health education. Lori is an expert in skin cancer prevention, having conducted numerous intervention and epidemiological studies in this area for over 25 years. She is also an expert in survey research and has led or collaborated in written, telephone, face-to-face, and internet surveys on numerous health related topics. Lori currently teaches courses in program planning and implementation, grant writing for public health professionals, and the MPH capstone.

Malesa Pereira is currently a PhD Candidate in Community Health Sciences at LSU Health in New Orleans and the Evaluation Manager for Louisiana Cancer Preventions and Control Programs (LCP). She obtained her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from Binghamton University and her Master of Public Health in Maternal and Child Health from the University of South Florida. Prior to entering the doctoral program at LSU Health, Malesa primarily worked in clinical research, three years at Weill Cornell in pulmonary and genetics research, and six years at Moffitt Cancer Center in cancer imaging research, working on research projects and trials focused on developing and applying biomedical imaging techniques to interventions in oncology. Malesa’s research interests include improving outcomes and late effects for Pediatric, Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Cancer Survivors during treatment and survivorship.

Dr. Rogelio Robles, MD, is a medical doctor specializing in Ob-Gyn and a subspecialty in Gyn-Oncology from the esteemed Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) in Mexico. Recognized for his contributions to the field, Dr. Robles has been honored with invitations to speak at numerous Gynecology and Oncology conferences, and he serves as a board examiner for Gynecologic Oncology. Dr. Robles has been involved in various NCI and American Cancer Society-funded programs, exploring factors associated with delays in cancer diagnosis, treatment, and prevention for secondary cancers in cancer survivors while establishing valuable relationships with multiple community and organizational partners. He currently leads several projects focused on identifying Hispanic women at higher risk for cervical cancer, moving beyond the conventional considerations of race and ethnicity, evaluating individual barriers and facilitators for cervical cancer screening practices, and the feasibility and acceptability of an innovative, culturally sensitive, tailored program. Simultaneously, he pursues his PhD in Clinical Translational Science. He is a bilingual and bi-cultural professional deeply committed to serving the communities of Southern Arizona and Northern Sonora enhancing equitable healthcare, improving access to quality cancer care, and reducing disparities in cancer outcomes for all communities.