Scarletter
February, 2018
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For many people, February is a month full of anticipation. Football fans watch with bated breath in hopes that their team wins the Super Bowl. Couples look forward to spending Valentine’s Day with their special someone. Those who have tolerated rather than enjoyed the cold of winter look forward to Groundhog’s Day in hopes that Punxsutawney Phil will herald the arrival of an early spring.
February is an anticipatory month for public health professionals, too – but instead of holidays and sports matches, we recognize Cancer Awareness Month, and look forward to a day where a cancer diagnosis is not a cause for fear or dread.
The American Cancer Society recently estimated that the lifetime probability of receiving a cancer diagnosis is “
a little more than 1 in 3.” They also reported that the overall death rate due to cancer has fallen steadily over the past 20 years and that rates of new cancer diagnoses are falling, as well.
We’ve made great strides in making a cancer diagnosis survivable – but these improvements in survivability have not yet been realized equally across ethnic groups. While breast cancer mortality has decreased over the years, the disparity among black and white women persists with black women experiencing 45 percent higher rates of mortality than white women. These numbers were startling; as a medical doctor, it never occurred to me that skin color could be a determining factor in cancer outcomes.
My most current Rutgers study is trying to determine why this difference in cancer survival rates exists. In conjunction with the Roswell Park Cancer Institute and the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, nearly 1,500 early stage breast cancer patients have enrolled in a study that allows researchers to more closely follow health outcomes. This study allows researchers to identify various differences as they relate to ethnicity, from the presence of other health conditions to differences in the ways genes are methylated and expressed.
But while we are studying and learning the factors that cause differences in how cancer works across races, we have found that the biggest driver for cancer mortality in general is fear. Fear of cancer, fear of chemotherapy, fear of not knowing what is going to happen if someone is diagnosed – all of these can prevent a person from seeking care. Our next milestone – the next step – is working with the community to highlight and answer these questions. If we can reduce fear by giving people information before a cancer diagnosis, we have the potential to address one of the most significant reasons people put off seeking medical treatment.
Aside from my cancer research, many Rutgers School of Public Health faculty continue to dedicate and work towards making cancer a relic. Their work focuses on cancer disparities, surveillance, risk communication, and much more. Notably, and just to name a few - Dr. Adana Llanos, a molecular epidemiologist, studies cancer surveillance and mortality in medically undeserved and minority population in both the U.S. and Caribbean; Dr. Jesse Plascak’s research focuses on the impact of racial-ethnic and socioeconomic disparities and social environmental mechanisms on cancer morbidity and mortality; and Dr. Antoinette Stroup directs New Jersey’s Cancer registry. Further, our Center for Tobacco Studies, under the direction of Vice Dean Cristine Delnevo, contributes to our cancer portfolio with their tobacco research, surveillance, and policy work.
On behalf of Rutgers School of Public Health and all of our researchers, students, and staff, we look forward to continuing our work in making cancer a survivable, non-scary medical anomaly – a reality that we can hasten through collaboration and conversation. On February 16, 2018, Rutgers School of Public Health will host the 2018
New York City Epidemiology Forum (NYCEF) in Newark, New Jersey. About 350 participants from 16 institutions that span the greater New York metropolitan area will converge to share ideas, network, and learn about ongoing active research in our area through both podium and poster presentations.
Cancer research – and epidemiology in general – is not a subject that is best handled alone. The large numbers of patients and healthcare and community sites needed to properly conduct patient and community centers and scientifically sound are not for the faint of heart. Events like NYCEF give new and seasoned researchers alike a venue to both forge new relationships and renew established connections. In fostering these relationships, we hope to accelerate our progress to a cancer-free world.
Sincerely,
Kitaw Demissie, MD, PhD
Chair and Professor, Department of Epidemiology
Rutgers School of Public Health
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"Keeping the Public in Public Health"
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Responses to Tobacco Messaging about Smokeless Tobacco
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Olivia Wackowski, PhD, professor of social and behavioral health sciences, along with colleagues at the Center for Tobacco Studies, finds that the presence and consumption of balanced information on smokeless tobacco (SLT) products could improve how people view them and may help move current smokers away from traditional cigarettes.
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Lasting Effects of Prison Sentences
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Pamela Valera, PhD, professor of social and behavioral health sciences, leads a study which finds that formally incarcerated men and women who successfully transition out of the prison system and reintegrate into society, credit their success to the presence of a supportive network of family, friends, and mentors. Identifying these factors provides and opportunity to interrupt patterns of relapse, rearrest, and recidivism.
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ACA's 1332 State Waiver Examined
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Michael K. Gusmano, PhD, professor of health systems and policy, examines the potential impacts of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) Section 1332 State Innovation Waivers, which give states flexibility in their approaches with the ACA. States’ approaches in planning for 1332 waivers suggest that the ACA must be dynamic and flexible enough to adjust to different states’ healthcare, economic, demographic, and political circumstances.
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Traditional Birth Attendants in Nigeria
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Kimberley Pierre, MPH student, finds that eliminating the use of Traditional Birth Assistants (TBAs) in Nigeria could cause maternal mortality rates to rise. While TBAs tend to have informal training or no training at all, many expecting mothers rely on their assistance, especially in rural areas where access to any form of birthing help is limited.
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New Mortality Findings 5-Years Post Sandy
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Amy Davidow, PhD, professor of biostatistics along with colleague Soyeon Kim, PhD, find new evidence on mortality rates and causes from Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Their data suggests that mitigation efforts and/or support services may be needed for extended periods of time, especially among the elderly and residents located in severely affected areas.
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Reduced Cancer Risk with Groundwater Treatment
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Megan Rockafellow-Baldoni, Rutgers School of Public Health alum and Center for Public Health Workforce Development program coordinator, along with faculty, has found a reduction in the risk of cancer due to arsenic exposure in Hopewell Township (Mercer County), New Jersey with the use of arsenic treatment systems.
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Shauna Downs, PhD, professor of health systems and policy, finds that while all forms of trans fat regulation are effective, trans fat bans have the potential to make the largest impact on cardiovascular disease rates worldwide. Reducing trans fat in the food supply will reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease deaths, especially in the most socioeconomically vulnerable groups. Trans fat bans are likely the most successful, economical, and equitable approach to reduce trans fat consumption worldwide.
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Faculty to Join SAMHSA
Expert Panel:
Thomas Mackie, PhD, MPH, professor of health systems and policy, has been selected to join the “Strategies for Effective Implementation of Psychotropic Medication Safety Guidelines in Children and Adolescents” expert panel. Convened by the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA), Dr. Mackie will contribute to development of best practice guidelines to promote safe and appropriate prescribing of psychotropic medications for children and adolescents.
Faculty Named a Top Influential Alumni:
Henry Raymond, DrPH, MPH, professor of epidemiology,
has been named one of Berkeley School of Public Health’s 75 most influential alumni. The award comes ahead of the school’s 75th anniversary celebration in April.
Student Accepted into NAID Program:
Olufunmilola (Funmi) Ibironke, PhD student, has been accepted into the Intramural
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Research Opportunities (INRO) program, held February 5 through February 8, 2018, in Bethesda, Maryland. INRO is a four-day exploratory program that invites students from underrepresented populations to hear lectures and interview with scientists for possible research training positions.
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We Say "No Thanks" to Big Tobacco
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Dean Perry N. Halkitis joins 18 other Deans of schools of public health, who have pledged not to accept funding from the Foundation on a Smoke-Free World. The Foundation is funded by Philip Morris International. The
Framework Convention on Tobacco Control,
the World's first public health treaty, states, "There is a fundamental and irreconcilable conflict between the tobacco industry’s interests and public health policy interests.”
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Vice Dean Cristine Delnevo, PhD, MPH, comments on the safety/health concerns that new Governor Tim Murphy will have to address if he seeks to make marijuana legal in New Jersey.
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Rutgers University's largest independent newspaper announces that Helmut Zarbl, PhD, has been named the new Director of the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute.
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Professor Michael Steinberg, MD, MPH, recommends ten strategies, based on extensive research in tobacco dependence and control, to help smokers quit in the new year.
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Alumna
Melissa L. Santorelli, PhD, comments on her study which finds that mortality risk increases for breast cancer patients who also have a mental illness.
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It's Here: Gender Neutral Bathroom
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We have taken the first step
in addressing the well-being of our transgender and gender non-conforming colleagues and students by creating a gender-neutral bathroom, located at our New Brunswick location on the second floor, room 227. We also plan to create a similar space in our Newark location.
All individuals have the right to use this single-sex bathroom facility or any bathroom facility consistent with their gender identity or expression.
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Meet May Chan-Liston, PharmD, MPH’14! She is the Director of REMS Strategy at Celgene Corporation. In her role, she ensures that the Celgene REMS (Risk Evaluation Mitigation Strategy) programs meet their goals through the strategic program planning she conducts. Prior to her work at Celgene, May worked in medical affairs, including managing the execution of medical education programs and publication plans. May has also practiced as a retail and volunteer disaster relief pharmacist, both of which strongly influence her interests in patient safety and general public health issues. May earned her BS and PharmD degrees from the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy and her MPH from the Rutgers School of Public Health in 2014.
“Rutgers School of Public Health has opened my eyes to the fact that public health is everywhere around us and within our communities,” says May on her time at the School. “The degree and School instilled and solidified the concept that I have a social responsibility to my fellow community members to educate and ensure that the health of our communities and citizens are safeguarded and improved every way possible.”
May serves as a volunteer on her local civilian Medical Reserve Corps and she sits on the Rutgers School Public Health Alumni Board and Dean Halkitis' Advisory Council. In her spare time, May enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, hiking, and crafting every chance she gets.
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February 7
5:00PM - 6:00PM
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Perry's Power Hour:
Chat with Dean Perry N. Halkitis about issues important to YOU (or the latest episode of
This is Us). Pizza will be served.
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February 12
12:00PM - 1:00PM
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21st Century Seminar Series
:
“
Health Care Management Innovations in Low- and Middle-Income Countries,” presented by
Gordon Shen, PhD, SM
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February 16
9:00AM - 5:00PM
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NYC Epidemiological Forum:
Epidemiological forum hosted by the Rutgers School of Public Health, which is bringing together junior and senior epidemiologists, students, and researchers.
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February 19
12:00PM - 1:00PM
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21st Century Seminar Series
:
“Cancer Survivorship in Older Adults: A Growing Concern,” presented by Aasha Hoogland, PhD.
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February 21
12:00PM - 1:00PM
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21st Century Seminar Series
:
HIV Prevention in the Digital Era: Is there an app for that?
”
presented by Jose Bauermeister.
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February 26
12:00PM - 1:00PM
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21st Century Seminar Series
:
"Improving the Health of Adolescents & Young Adults: Sociocontextual & Cultural Determinants of HIV-related Behaviors," presented by Tamara Taggart.
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ICYMI: 21st Century Seminar Series
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“
Contribution of Epidemiology to the Understanding of Cancer Mechanisms
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presented by Paolo Boffetta, MD, MPH, epidemiology professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
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Summer Experience for High School Students
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Introducing
PHocus: Public Health Outbreaks, Communities, and Urban Studies a summer experience for high school students, a summer experience for high school students! Participants can expect a variety of activities including mock outbreaks, population health and community disease activities, an introduction to public health, and conversations with public health scientists and practitioners.
PHocus will be offered in Piscataway June 25-29, 2018 and in Newark July 30-August 3, 2018.
Applications are now being accepted through March 10, 2018.
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You can still join Team #RUSPH for the annual Rutgers Unite Half Marathon & 8K on April 8, 2018!
All are welcome to join our team and show their #RutgersPride.
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Getting Social @RutgersSPH
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Follow and interact with the Rutgers School of Public Health (@RutgersSPH) on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Tag us in your posts and show us how you're "keeping the public in public health," for a chance to be featured on our social media accounts and in
The Scarletter
.
Follow and interact with Dean Perry N. Halkitis (@DrPNHalkitis) on Twitter and Instagram.
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Have an idea for an editorial?
Do you want to tell your story?
Did you just win an award?
Have a cool job in public health?
Did you just publish?
We want to tell your story - email Michelle Edelstein (mse46@sph.rutgers.edu) to learn more.
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Donating to the Rutgers School of Public Health supports scholarships for students to be engaged in discovery-based learning through research and practice activities working with populations who experiencing health disparities here in New Jersey, in our country, and globally. By giving, you are helping us further our mission – we thank you. To donate, follow the URL and type “School of Public Health” in the search box.
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Rutgers School of Public Health
Rutgers School of Public Health
683 Hoes Lane West
Piscataway, NJ 08854
732-235-9700
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