Faculty & Staff

Lorna H. McNeill, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Cullen Trust Health Care Chair in Health Disparities Research
Professor and Chair, Department of Health Disparities Research
Associate Director, Cancer Health Disparities and Community Outreach
Director, Center for Community-Engaged Translational Research

Research Interests: increasing physical activity among racial/ethnic minorities as a mechanism to reduce cancer risk

Executive Assistant: Daphne Coney
DDConey@mdanderson.org

Karen Basen-Engquist, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Professor

Research Interests: health behavior, exercise, cancer survivors and quality of life

Shine Chang, Ph.D.
Professor

Research Interests:

• evaluating the impact of cancer prevention and early detection on cancer disparities across multiple demographic factors
• tools for developing culturally and geographically specific cancer prevention curricula
• workforce recruitment and development of the cancer research workforce, leadership of academic health centers, and for leading LGBTQIA+ cancer research, including focused interventions such as mentor training in strengthening trainee scientific communication skill self-efficacy and intervening on impostor phenomenon, fixed mindset and perceived discrimination
• systemic bias and systems thinking in health science and health science training
• the intersection of cancer financial toxicity, cancer survivorship and curriculum needs for non-health professionals who help cancer patients, caregivers and their employers

Dalnim Cho, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

Research Interests: cancer survivorship and control and reducing cancer disparities among underserved populations, exploring the interplay of individual, social and environmental factors to better understand health and behavior changes in underserved cancer survivors

Qian Lu, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor

Research Interests: creating brief, scalable, and resource-efficient behavioral interventions, such as expressive writing and narrative videos, as well as multilevel strategies addressing social determinants of health, including peer support and access

Scherezade K. Mama, Dr.P.H.
Associate Professor

Research Interests: community-based interventions to promote physical activity and reduce cancer risk in racial/ethnic minority adults, rural residents and cancer survivors; mixed methods research, dissemination and implementation research

Margaret Raber, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

Research Interests: cancer survivor lifestyle and wellness, community nutrition, Food Is Medicine, modifiable risk factors for cancer, and community outreach and engagement

Surendranath S. Shastri, M.D., D.Ph.
Professor

Research Interests: tobacco control interventions, cervical, breast and oral cancer screening, and HPV vaccinations

Larkin L. Strong, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Associate Professor

Research Interests: cancer prevention, behavioral lifestyle interventions, community-engaged research, physical and social environmental context, and exercise/physical activity

Dede Teteh-Brooks, Dr.P.H.
Assistant Professor

Research Interests: breast and lung cancer survivorship, biobehavioral community interventions and implementation science

Hwa Young Lee, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

Research Interests: evaluation and dissemination of educational interventions, early detection and screening access among medically underserved populations, use of artificial intelligence (AI) in cancer prevention and screening, predictive modeling for cancer prevention outcomes

Julie Thomas
Department Administrator
Office: 713-563-0112
JBThomas@mdanderson.org

Tribbie Grimm
Grant Program Manager
Office: 832-450-8144
TDGrimm@mdanderson.org

Michael Enriquez
Office Manager
Office: 713-745-7322
MHEnriquez@mdanderson.org

Sarai Barnett
Grant Program Coordinator
Office: 713-794-1803
SNPortal@mdanderson.org

Eunju Choi
EChoi3@mdanderson.org

Cheyoung Lee
CLee12@mdanderson.org

Preena Loomba
PLoomba@mdanderson.org