Spring 2018 Issue
Welcome to our Cancer Prevention and Control (CPC) quarterly newsletter. The goal in producing this newsletter is to keep our members informed and involved. We are highlighting opportunities for collaborations, new funding opportunities, new grants and promotions, new personnel, and upcoming seminars and events. We always welcome your suggestions and contributions for future issues. 
Spotlight On
We welcome our newest faculty member, Carolyn Heckman , PhD , She joins us as an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Medical Oncology and Section of Population Science at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Heckman comes to us from Temple University and Fox Chase Cancer Center where she was an Associate Professor in the Departments of Dermatology, and Social and Behavioral Sciences, and a member of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program. Read Dr. Heckman's research profile .
We are pleased to announce that Jerod Stapleton , PhD , Population Science was promoted to Associate Professor on the tenure track. Dr. Stapleton’s research centers on social and media influences of tanning by women and their negative body image issues. His funding history includes NIH funding as a PI, NCI-funded R03 behavioral research grant, NCI-funded R01, and NCI-funded K07. His research on categorizing tanning beds to a more harmful class of medical devices has been cited multiple times by the FDA. Please join us in congratulating him on this wonderful achievement.
Recent Presentations/Events
The 2018 Annual Retreat on Cancer Research in New Jersey, organized by Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and The New Jersey Commission on Cancer Research was held on May 24, 2018 at Rutgers University. The keynote speaker was Douglas R. Lowy, MD , Deputy Director, National Cancer Institute, NIH Distinguished Investigator, Chief of the Laboratory of Cellular Oncology, Center for Cancer Research. His talk was entitled: " Preventing HPV-Associated Cancers Through Vaccination and Screening." CPC speakers: Mark H. Einstein, MD, MS, FACOG, FACS, Perry Halkitis, PhD, MS, MPH , Xianglin Tan, MD, PhD , Adana Llanos Wilson, PhD, MPH .

Poster sessions were presented by:
Huailong Chang, PhD , Postdoctoral Appointee,  Katie Devine, PhD, MPH , Assistant Professor, Michelle Doose, MPH , Doctoral student, Joseph Gallo, MPH , Research Teaching Specialist IV, A nam Khan, MPH , Health Educator III, Carolina Lozada, MPH , Research Teaching Specialist IV, Anna Mitarotondo, Research Specialist IV, Evangelynn Murphy , Assistant Research Coordinator,  Zhaomeng Niu, PhD , Veenat Parmar , MPH , Research Teaching Specialist IV,  Kristine Levonyan-Radloff , Research Teaching Specialist IV, Jennifer Tsui, PhD , MPH , Assistant Professor, Adrienne Viola, MPH, MD/PhD Candidate, Baichen Xu , Research Associate II, Lindsay Eberhart , Research Teaching Specialist V.
WCRF/AICR Report

Elisa Bandera, MD, PhD , p articipated as a panel member in the launch event of the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research Third Expert Report, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC on May 24, 2018. The report provides a comprehensive review of the evidence on food, nutrition, physical activity and cancer prevention and updated recommendations . Click here to download the full report .
Conference for Change:
Colorectal and Lung Cancer Screening Innovation

Jennifer Tsui, PhD , and Antoinette (Nan) M. Stroup, PhD ,   were panelists for the Conference for Change: Colorectal and Lung Cancer Screening Innovation on May 23, 2018 . The conference focus was to provide comprehensive strategies to increase screening rates, exchange lessons learned and promising practices, and share current data and research opportunities.
CPC Monthly Meeting

Ann Carroll Klassen, PhD, Professor, Department of Community Health and Prevention, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University Co-Director, Collaborative for Cancer Risk, Prevention and Control, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Consortium was the guest speaker for the CPC Monthly Meeting on March 20, 2018 . Dr. Klassen's talk was entitled "Primary Prevention Across the Lifecourse - Findings from the Young Women's Breast Cancer Study."
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Trainee Seminar Series

Zhaomeng Niu, PhD , Post-doctoral Associate, Population Science was the presenter at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey Trainee Seminar on May 11, 2018 . Her talk was entitled, "S ocial Media Use, Body Image Beliefs, and Indoor Tanning among Young Adult Women . "
NCI Intramural Metabolic Epidemiology Branch (MEB)
May 2-4, 2018

Elisa Bandera, MD, PhD , Professor, Population Science , served as an external reviewer for a site visit of the NCI Intramural Metabolic Epidemiology Branch on May 2-4, 2018. MEB’s research mission is to conduct collaborative high-impact epidemiological research on metabolic and lifestyle causes of cancer that will guide prevention and early intervention strategies worldwide.
International UV and Skin Cancer Conference
May 1-4, 2018
Carolyn Heckman, Ph.D, Associate Professor, Population Science was chair of the workshop, 
Online, Mobile, and Social Media Interventions for Skin Cancer Prevention, in which she presented UV4.Me: An online intervention to alter skin cancer risk behaviors of Young Adults. She also presented, "10 Years of the Don't Fry Day Campaign" and was a co-author of "Health Behavioral Correlates of Indoor Tanning in a National Sample of Parent-adolescent Dyads from NCI's FLASHE Study."
Jerod Stapleton, PhD , Associate Professor presented " The process of developing interventions to be delivered via Facebook groups" and "The prevalence and correlates of heavy indoor tanning, tanning addiction, and perceptions of tanning cessation." The conference was an organized, joint planning committee of skin cancer prevention experts in Canada and the United States.
American Society of Preventive Oncology (ASPO) Conference
Mar 11-13, 2018
Pictured from left to right:

Adana Llanos Wilson, Jennifer Tsui, Elisa Bandera, Shawna Hudson, and Stacy Davis
Elisa Bandera, MD, PhD , presented and chaired a session at the ASPO 2018 meeting entitled: "Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Cancer: How Evolving Science is Incorporated into Public Health Recommendations."  Dr. Bandera is currently the chair of the ASPO Lifestyle Behaviors, Energy Balance, and Chemoprevention Special Interest Group.
Elisa Bandera, MD, PhD , and Jerod Stapleton, PhD
Michelle Doose , MPH , doctoral student, Rutgers School of Public Health

“ Patient Factors that Contribute to Racial Disparities in Breast Cancer Treatment”
Bo Qin, PhD, Research Associate II, Population Science

"Validity of self-reported weight, height and body mass index among African American breast cancer survivors: the Women’s Circle of Health Follow-Up Study."
Judith Graber, PhD , Assistant Professor, School of Public Health (right) with SPH student (left)

Jesse Plascak, PhD, MPH,  Instructor, School of Public Health (left) with SPH student (right)


American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
April 14 - 18, 2018


Pamela Valera, PhD , Assistant Professor, School of Public Health presented at the AACR Meeting, April 2018. Her poster was entitled, "The Feasibility of Delivering a Cancer Education Program in Correctional Facilities."
Rutgers, Aresty Undergraduate Research Symposium
April 27, 2018

Celine LaBelle *, Kayla Zambrana* , Cathleen Xing , Jesse Plascak (* = co-presenting undergraduate RAs) received 1st place poster presentation entitled, "Breast Cancer and Physical Environmental Characteristics: QUEENS Project – Physical Disorder" in Social Sciences category at the Rutgers, Aresty Undergraduate Research Symposium on April 27, 2018, held at the Rutgers Livingston Campus Student Center. The research project partially supported from CINJ CPC Pilot Award and CINJ ACS-IRG Pilot Award (for both PI: Jesse Plascak, Co-Investigators: Adana Llanos Wilson and Antoinette (Nan) Stroup).
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Distinguished Lecture Series

David Andrew Chambers, DPhil , Deputy Director of Implementation Science, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute presented at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey Distinguished Lecture Series on February 21, 2018. His lecture was entitled: "Advancing Implementation Science to Improve Cancer Care and Health Outcomes."
Awards and Honors
Perry N. Halkitis, PhD, MS, MPH, Dean, Rutgers School of Public Health has been recognized by the American Psychological Association (APA) as a Citizen Psychologist. Dr. Halkitis’ expansive work on behalf of the LGBT community spans nearly three decades and includes researching, educating, and advocating for the health of LGBT communities.

Dr. Halkitis will be recognized by Dr. Jessica Henderson Daniel, APA President with the Presidential Citizen Psychologist citation during the APA Convention in San Francisco in August 2018. 
Adrienne Viola, MPH, MD/PhD Candidate , Population Health received the Citation Abstract Award and the Meritorious Student Abstract Award from the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) in New Orleans, LA, April 2018.
Grants
Katie Devine, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor, Population Science

Dr. Devine has been awarded an R21 grant funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) entitled: "Improving Transition Readiness in Adolescent and Youth Adult (AYA) Survivors of Childhood Cancer."
Co-investigators: Sharon Manne, PhD, Associate Director, Margaret Masterson, MD, Associate Director and Pamela Ohman-Strickland, PhD, Associate Professor .
Sharon Manne, PhD , Associate Director and Professor, Population Science
Dr. Manne has been awarded an R01 grant funded by NIH-NCI. Her grant is entitled: "“ Facebook Intervention for Young Onset Melanoma Patients and Families."
Co-investigators: Elliot Coups, PhD, Associate Professor, Pamela Ohman-Strickland, PhD, Associate Professor, Vadim Koshenkov, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Susan Peterson, PhD, MPH, Professor of Behavioral Science son), and Sherry Pagoto, PhD, Professor (UConn).
Olivia Wackowski, PhD, MPH , Assistant Professor at Rutgers School of Public Health
Dr. Wackowski has been awarded an R01 grant funded by NIH-NCI. entitled, "Perceptions and Impact of Modified Risk Tobacco Product Communication Messages."
Co-Investigators: Cristine Delnevo, PhD, Vice Dean, M. Jane Lewis, DrPH, Associate Professor, and Pamela Ohman-Strickland, PhD, Associate Professor
Rutgers School of Public Health faculty members Jesse Plascak, PhD, MPH,   Adana Llanos Wilson, PhD, MPH, and Antoinette (Nan) M. Stroup, PhD , have been awarded the 2017 Cancer Prevention and Control Award by Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey ($43,095). Led by Dr. Plascak, the award will fund a team of researchers in their latest study, " Spatial Uncertainty of Neighborhood Factors and Associations with Racial Disparities of Breast Cancer Prognostic Indicators."
Community Outreach and Engagement
The Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Population Science team volunteered at the Asian American Heritage festival commemorating Asian American May 20, 2018, which was held at the NJ Expo and Convention Center. The team engaged community members with interactive cancer prevention and healthy living materials, blood pressure screenings, and recruited prospective research participants.
Upcoming Events - Save the Date
Cancer Prevention and Control (CPC) Program Monthly Meetings

Please join us at the next CPC Program meeting on Tuesday, July 17, 3:00-4:00 pm, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Clinical Academic Building (CAB) 3404 . The presenter will be Kuang-Yi Wen, PhD, Assistant Professor, Fox Chase Cancer Center. Click here for more information about Dr. Wen.

Refreshments will be provided. 

Click  here   for full list of upcoming 2018 CPC meetings.
CIPT-CPC Retreat
 
Goal : To facilitate inter-programmatic research between the members of both programs.

Date : Friday, September 7, 2018
Time : 9:30 am to 11:30 am
Location : 195 Little Albany St. CINJ building, Aud A.

If you are interested in joining, please RSVP here .
2018 Annual CPC Retreat

Goal: To review where we are and discuss where we would like to be as a program.

Date : Thursday, September 27, 2018
Time : 10 am to 12 pm
Location : 1 95 Little Albany St. CINJ building, Aud A.

If you are interested in joining, please RSVP here .
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Conference

The 11th AACR Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved will be held on November 2 - 5, 2018 . Click  here  for registration details and abstract deadline.
New CPC Program Members
We welcome our newest CPC members:

Carolyn J. Heckman, PhD , Associate Professor, Full Member

Marin Kurti, MA , Instructor, Associate II Member

Daniel Rosenblum, PhD , Assistant Professor, Associate II Member

Stanley H. Weiss, MD, FACP, FACE , Professor, Associate II Member

Click member's name to read their researcher profile.
More to Know
Dr. Perry N. Halkitis has also been selected to host undergraduate student researchers by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at The Center for Health, Identity Behavior & Prevention Studies (CHIBPS). This is the ninth consecutive year Dr. Halkitis and The center have been selected by NIDA.

Annie Yang , medical student, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, was awarded the New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) Margaret E. Mahoney Fellowship for summer 2018 under the guidance of Dr. Jennifer Tsui on the Medicaid Cancer Dataset. The Margaret E. Mahoney Fellowship is unique not only for providing health professionals and students with an opportunity to focus on health policy, but also for the program’s emphasis on enrichment and leadership activities.   
 
Publications

For a full list of recent manuscripts, abstracts, and presentations please visit the  CPC webpage . 
Employment Opportunities

Open Population Science positions:

Staff:


Faculty:

News to share? We invite you to send your news and updates to be considered for publication in an upcoming issue of  The CPC Newsletter . Please note: All news items must adhere to Rutgers editorial guidelines and Associated Press style; accepted submissions may be edited in accordance with those guidelines. If you also have an accompanying photo you would like to be considered, please submit a high-resolution, print-quality image that is 300 dpi. Email submissions.