Research Newsletter - July 2024

Inaugural Cancer Health Disparities Symposium fosters connection, collaboration

The IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center held the inaugural 2024 Cancer Health Disparities Symposium on Tuesday, June 18. The event was co-organized by the Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination Core (CRTEC) and Office of Inclusive Excellence at the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center. 

The symposium featured more than a dozen oral presentations from cancer center experts in cancer research and health disparities. Read the 2024 abstracts.

Ruemu Birhiray, MD, a partner at Hematology Oncology of Indiana, delivered the keynote address, “Strategies for confronting our common responsibility of equitable cancer care: Driving diversity in cancer clinical research.”  

The goal of the Cancer Health Disparities Symposium was to identify ongoing research and gaps, foster connections, and build collaboration in cancer health disparities at IU and the greater Indianapolis area.

“The Cancer Health Disparities Symposium allowed us to capture the breadth of cancer disparity focused research on campus from basic science studies to clinical applications,” said Hari Nakshatri, PhD, the Marian J. Morrison Professor of Breast Cancer Research at IU School of Medicine and associate director of education at the cancer center. “Breakout sessions also helped us with strategic planning for future expansion of disparity research through collaborative efforts.”

Watch a conversation between Dr. Birhiray and Kathi Ridley-Merriweather, PhD, communication and recruitment manager for the Komen Tissue Bank. In the video, they discuss the Cancer Health Disparities Symposium, among other topics.

The Office of Community Outreach and Engagement (OCOE), in collaboration with End Lung Cancer Now (ELCN), led the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center’s participation at the 2024 Indiana Black and Minority Health Fair during the Indiana Black Expo in Indianapolis. 

During the June 27-30 event, faculty, researchers, staff and students engaged with the community by providing information and materials on various topics that address eliminating the cancer burden in Indiana. The more than 50 volunteers at the booth provided health fair participants with information on tobacco cessation, lung, cervical, HPV, pancreatic, skin and colorectal cancer (CRC) screenings and prevention. 

Those who stopped by the booth were also offered interactive risk assessments for CRC and lung cancer, information on clinical trials, and learned about the need for community advocates. More than 500 attendees actively engaged with the cancer center’s booth throughout the health fair. 

Additionally, Kathy Miller, MD (EDT), associate director of clinical research at the cancer center, and Paula Pettis-Garrett, OCOE recruitment branch leader, led a discussion on cancer clinical trials and the critical importance of participation, particularly for those in minority communities. Miller explained the barriers to participation, clarified common misconceptions about cancer clinical trials, the benefits of diverse representation, and how participation can lead to more effective treatments and interventions.