I am a trained behavioral scientist with expertise and cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention and management, as denoted by my postdoctoral fellowship and my FAHA designation. My research employs theory-driven methodology to promote equity in physical activity participation among at-risk demographics, There is an important relationship between cardiovascular disease and breast cancer survivorship.
Breast cancer patients who also have cardiovascular diseases (CVD) experience worse survival rates compared to their counterparts without these comorbidities (Edwards et al., 2024). In a large U.S. study involving 63,566 patients with breast cancer, those with CVD were found to have a 1.24 times higher risk of dying from breast cancer compared to patients without CVD (Patnaik et al., 2014).
As reported by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, "While breast cancer incidence rates among Black and white women are close, mortality rates are markedly different, with Black women having a 40 percent higher death rate from breast cancer" (https://www.bcrf.org/black-women-and-breast-cancer-why-disparities-persist-and-how-end-them/#:~:text=While%20breast%20cancer%20incidence%20rates,death%20rate%20from%20breast%20cancer.). This finding also corresponds to a report by the American Cancer Society that Black American women are more physically inactive (38%) compared to their White counterparts (23%), signifying inequity in physical activity. Physical activity is associated with lower cancer mortality and recurrence in breast cancer patients (García-Chico et all., 2023). There is are significant racial health disparities in breast cancer survivorship and participation in physical activity among Black women with breast cancer.
Hence, my future interest aims to reduce health disparities among Black women who have been diagnosed with Breast cancer. I have discussed with my mentor (Dr. Tarah Ballinger) on community-based investigations to promote physical activity among Black women diagnosed with breast cancer.
Post-doctoral Fellowship - University of Montreal, Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, Canada 2016-2019
Ph.D. - University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia 2016
