Clinical and Population Sciences
Scientific Director:
Joanne Elena, PhD, MPH
Senior Associate Scientist:
Sandra Schimmel, PhD, RN
For all questions, contact:
Alejandra.schimmel@cancer.org
Research in this program focuses on human studies that investigate how to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer. Special emphasis is placed on studies that reflect the diversity of the US population and address health disparities based on age, gender, ability, race/ethnicity, nativity, geography, wealth, language, social class, and sexual or gender minorities.
This program accepts grant applications that focus on:
- Etiological studies that investigate the role of biological, genetic, environmental, and behavioral risk factors in the development and progression of cancer.
- Dissemination and implementation science research to promote evidence-based practices, interventions, policies, and accelerate the translation of evidence from research into practice.
- Innovative methods and technologies to promote and sustain behavioral change.
- Advanced statistical methods and machine learning to interrogate multiple large databases for risk prediction and prognostic modeling.
- Access to care, cancer care delivery, care coordination, health systems, patient-provider communication, patient navigation, and the delivery and practice of palliative care research.
- Research to uncover the root cause of inequities based on the social determinants of health and that employs strategies to achieve health equity.
- Strategies to increase and diversify participation in clinical trials and research studies.
- Research that addresses the mental, emotional, physical, and financial well-being of caregivers.
- Examinations focused on symptoms management, treatment adherence, patient-reported outcomes, co-morbidites, psychological, spiritual, financial, physical well-being, and quality of life in cancer survivors.
- Developing and testing interventions that involve cultural tailoring, health literacy, social support, patient-provider communication, shared decision-making, and social marketing to mitigate the cancer burden.
Associated Peer Review Committees
For more information on our grant making process, please visit Our Grant Process.
To view all of our peer review committees, please visit our Peer Review Committees webpage.
Glossary for Nonscientists
Featured Term:
Social Determinants of Health
Non-medical factors that influence health, the ability to function, risk for health problems, and quality of life. These include conditions in the environments where people are born, live, work, play, worship, and age as well as the social, economic, and political systems that shape those conditions of daily life. Social determinants of health are closely linked with health disparities.
