I am a physician-scientist with clinical training in pulmonary & critical care medicine. My translational research is focused on the intersection of socioeconomic status, environmental exposures, and epigenetics in the development of lung cancer. My focus includes an exciting new field coined "social epigenomics" which has emerged as an integrative field of research focused on the identification of socio-environmental factors, their influence on human biology through epigenomic modifications, and how they contribute to the development of disease, specifically in lung cancer.
I have a specific interest in health disparities along the lung cancer continuum, including screening, diagnosis, treatment, and clinical outcomes. Current work being submitted for publication includes analyzing the impact of race and socioeconomic status on lung cancer stage at diagnosis, mortality, and stage-specific treatment. Perhaps the most interesting facet of my multi-factorial approach to alleviating lung cancer racial disparities is studying how racial differences in exposure risks (socioeconomic/environmental factors) lead to racial differences in lung cancer incidence & mortality rates, potentially mediated by differences in DNA repair capacity a the cellular level. This is a current study I am working on and mentored by Dr. Catherine Sears.
Future research interest includes collaborating with others within IUSCC and CTSI to get more involved in community engagement, specifically surrounding lung cancer prevention and screening, in hopes of reducing racial and gender disparities in lung cancer incidence and mortality.
Fellowship - Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 2018-2021
Residency - The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 2014-2018
M.D. - Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN 2010-2014
