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CURE Distinguished Scholars Seminars

CCHE proudly celebrates the history of the Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (CURE) program by honoring some of our most accomplished scholars, mentors and champions, as well as their achievements in the CURE program, through the CURE Distinguished Scholars Seminars (DSS).

The CURE DSS recognize outstanding former CURE scholars and their research. These scientific seminars highlight leading-edge cancer health disparities research, along with new advancements, ideas, and trends in the field of cancer disparities.

Over the course of more than two decades, the CURE program has supported more than 4,000 CURE students, trainees and early-stage investigators. CCHE is inspired by their competitiveness in obtaining research funding, their contributions to the field of cancer and cancer health disparities research, the remarkable vision and innovation in their work, and their continued commitment to the CURE program.

CCHE also recognized scholars at a 2017 event, Celebrating 21 Years of the CURE Program Recognition Ceremony.

Past Seminars

May 16, 2024

Dr. Marcia Cruz-Correa Headshot

Molecular Disparities in Familial and Sporadic Gastrointestinal Cancer: A Model for a Physician-Scientist Career

Marcia Cruz-Correa, MD, PhD
Professor of Medicine & Biochemistry, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus
Investigator, UPR Comprehensive Cancer Center
San Juan, PR

Watch the recording of this seminar.

 

 

 

 

May 4, 2023
 

Dr. Chyke Doubeni

Health Equity Requires More than the Sum of the Parts: The Colorectal Cancer Model

Chyke A. Doubeni, MD, MPH
Chief Health Equity Officer
Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Associate Director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute
Columbus, OH

Watch the recording of this seminar.

 

May 5, 2022

Dr. Melinda Mahabee-Gittens

Tobacco Control in the Pediatric Healthcare Setting

E. Melinda Mahabee-Gittens, MD, PhD
Professor of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Professor of Research and Attending Physician, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Division of Emergency Medicine
Cincinnati, OH

Watch the recording of this seminar

 

 

 

October 14, 2021

VCU Massey Cancer Center Director Dr. Robert Winn

Structure, Trust and Science

Robert A. Winn, MD 
Director and Lipman Chair in Oncology, VCU Massey Cancer Center
Senior Associate Dean for Cancer Innovation and Professor of Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine, VCU School of Medicine
Richmond, VA

Watch the recording of this seminar.

 

 

February 17, 2021

Dr. Christopher Li

Epidemiologic, Clinical and Molecular Factors Associated with Risk of Adverse Outcomes Among Breast and Colorectal Cancer Patients

Christopher I. Li, MD, PhD
Full Professor, Division of Public Health Sciences
Faculty Director, Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Research Full Professor, Department of Epidemiology
University of Washington
Seattle, WA

October 21, 2020

Dr. Cathrine Hoyo

Toxic Metal Exposure Disparities, Epigenomic Response and Hepatocellular Carcinoma: The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHAD) Framework

Cathrine Hoyo, PhD, MPH
Professor of Epidemiology, Department of Biological Sciences
Co-Director of the Integrated Health Sciences Facility Core, Center for Human Health and the Environment
Director of the Epidemiology and Environmental Epigenomics Laboratory
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC

 

October 9, 2019

Advancing Cancer Health Equity: Understanding the "Why” and “What” is Needed to Transform the Landscape

Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD, FACOG
President and Dean

Morehouse School of Medicine
Atlanta, GA

June 13, 2019

Successes and Challenges in Early Phase Drug Development for Cancer Therapy

Alex A. Adjei, MD, PhD, FACP, FASCO
Professor of Oncology
Professor of Pharmacology
Director, Early Cancer Therapeutics
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

October 17, 2018

Translational Issues in Cancer Health Disparities

Chanita Hughes-Halbert, PhD
Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
AT&T Distinguished Endowed Chair for Cancer Equity, Hollings Cancer Center
Associate Dean for Assessment, Evaluation, and Quality Improvement, College of Medicine
Medical University of South Carolina

Dr. Hughes-Halbert discussed sociocultural, psychological, genetic, and environmental determinants of cancer health disparities and how to translate this information into community interventions to improve cancer outcomes in racially and ethnically diverse populations.

 

July 24, 2018

The Science of Oncology Therapeutic Development

Levi Garraway, MD, PhD
Senior Vice President
Global Development and Medical Affairs
Eli Lilly and Company

Dr. Garraway presented his research on the molecular and genomic characterization of human solid tumors.

October 5, 2017

Dr. John M. Carethers

A Role for Inflammation-Induced DNA Mismatch Repair Deficits in Racial Outcomes from Advanced Colorectal Cancer

John M. Carethers, MD, MACP
C. Richard Boland Distinguished University Professor
John G. Searle Professor and Chair, Internal Medicine
Professor, Human Genetics
University of Michigan

Dr. Carethers presented highlights from his current research in hereditary colon cancer, tumor progression, and colorectal cancer disparities.

 

Inaugural Lecture – June 28, 2017

Dr. Lewis Roberts

Teams: Leveraging the Power of Collaboration to Advance Your Science and Reduce Disparities

Lewis R. Roberts, MB, ChB, PhD
Peter and Frances Georgeson Professor in Gastroenterology Cancer Research
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

Dr. Roberts presented his work in liver and bile duct cancers, which featured his research on the mechanisms of liver and biliary carcinogenesis and biomarkers to improve diagnosis, and the diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis and liver cancer in immigrant African and U.S. communities.

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