Our Postdoctoral Fellows

Fellowship: The Janice Davis Gordon Memorial Postdoctoral Fellowship in Colorectal Cancer Prevention
Department: Cancer Systems Imaging
Primary Mentor: Dr. Pratip Bhattacharya
Project Title: Hyperpolarized Molecular Beacons for Early Detection & Prevention of Colorectal Cancer

Abishai Dominic, Ph.D., is a rising star in colorectal cancer prevention and early detection. He holds a strong foundation in imaging and biomedical sciences from Anna University in Chennai, India, and earned his Ph.D. in medical sciences from Texas A&M University College of Medicine. Recognized at major international conferences for his scientific rigor and communication skills, Dr. Dominic's research focuses on developing hyperpolarized molecular beacons for early colorectal cancer detection and investigating the innate immune functions of endothelial cells — offering new insights with implications for both cancer and cardiovascular medicine.

Puja Aggarwal, Ph.D., is a two-time CPRTP fellowship awardee. As a Ph.D. student at The University of Texas Health Science Center, she was awarded an NCI R25E fellowship in January 2015 under the mentorship of Dr. Carrie Daniel-MacDougall in Epidemiology. Her 2017 Ph.D. dissertation project with Dr. Katherine Hutcheson, Head and Neck Surgery, was titled, "Characterizing Risk and Burden of Lower Cranial Neuropathy as Late Effect among Oropharyngeal Cancer (OPC) Survivors." Her dissertation investigated the risk and burden of late lower cranial neuropathy (late LCNP) among more than 3,000 OPC survivors, representing the largest and most comprehensive assessment of lower cranial neuropathy. After Dr. Aggarwal defended her dissertation, she was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship under Dr. Sanjay Shete in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. She investigated clinical and genetic predictors of risk-to-high prevalence cancer treatment‐associated symptoms, including dry mouth, dysphagia, mucus problems, choking, voice/speech, and fatigue among long‐term OPC survivors. Dr. Aggarwal is currently the senior research scientist at Cardinal Health.

Shikha Bista, Ph.D., has had extensive training in sociology, which refined her research interests related to immigration, race, and social inequality, emphasizing health disparities. She received a B.A. in sociology from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, and an M.A. and Ph.D., also in sociology, from Michigan State University. Dr. Bista's research emphasizes the importance of social determinants in health. Her dissertation, "Perceived Discrimination and Psychological Distress: The Moderating and Mediating Role of Social Context among Asian-Americans Nationwide," examined the relationship between discrimination and mental health among a nationwide sample of Asian Americans. Dr. Brista also explored the potential role of social context in moderating and mediating this association. Her research project, "Cervical Cancer Screening: Factors Predicting Non-Compliance & Self-Reported Barriers among U.S. Women," had implications for identifying the role of societal factors in determining barriers to treatment, access and preventive care among socially and medically underserved populations, to better understand its contribution to cervical cancer disparities. 

Onyema Greg Chido-Amajuoyi, M.B.B.S., M.P.H., received a bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery degree from Igbinedion University, Nigeria, after which he worked as a clinician before enrolling at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Public Health, where he received an M.P.H. (epidemiology). Under the mentorship of Dr. Sanjay Shete and co-mentors Dr. Paul Cinciripini (Chair, Behavioral Science) and Dr. Ernest Hawk (Vice President of Cancer Prevention), Onyema's postdoctoral research investigated the "Population-Level Assessment of HPV Vaccination Trends, Use of E-cigarettes to Quit Smoking and Cancer Screening Behaviors." Dr. Chido-Amajuoyi is an Internal Medicine Resident at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler (UTHealth) and CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview, Texas. 

As a native of Turkey, Fahriya Duzagac, Ph.D., originally joined MD Anderson in February 2018 and conducted ovarian cancer research in the Experimental Therapeutics in the cancer biology laboratory of Dr. Gabriel Lopez-Berestein. She completed an MSc degree and Ph.D. degree in Stem Cell Biology at Ege University in Izmir, Turkey, and secured a fellowship from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), the United States NIH counterpart in Turkey. Dr. Duzagac also worked as a molecular science and nanosystems researcher at Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Italy, where she focused on developing colorectal and ovarian cancer tumor microenvironment using organoid co-cultures on a microfluidic chip to test chemotherapy drugs' efficacy and model tumor development and metastasis. She is a bright, innovative, talented research scientist fluent in Turkish, Italian, and English. Under the mentorship of Dr. Eduardo Vilar Sanchez in Clinical Cancer Prevention, her research project, "Role of Neoantigen-Specific T-Cell Receptor for Cancer Interception and Immune Monitoring of Lynch Syndrome," aims to target tumor heterogeneity by understanding the role of cancer stem cells and immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. Dr. Duzagac is a rising star in cancer prevention research and continues her research at MD Anderson as a postdoctoral fellow. 

Natalia Heredia, Ph.D., has research interests in cancer prevention for the Hispanic population through the energy-balance behaviors of physical activity and diet. She received a B.A. in psychology and policy studies from Rice University, an M.P.H. in health promotion from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in behavioral sciences from the University of Texas Health Science Center. In her CPRIT-funded project, "Understanding Factors Contributing to the Rise of Metabolic Disease and Associated Liver Cancer Among Hispanics," she explored how health behaviors, neighborhood environments, lack of information on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and existing NAFLD clinical practice, contribute to the risk of metabolic disease, liver disease, and liver cancer in Hispanics. Her research will help prevent liver cancers in the Hispanic community. After completing her CPRIT postdoctoral fellowship (Mentor: Dr. Lorna McNeill, Health Disparities Research), Dr. Heredia was appointed as an assistant professor at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health.

Mohammad Karim, Ph.D., received a Ph.D. in health services research from Texas A&M School of Public Health. Dr. Karim has studied the long-term health-related expenditures incurred due to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) screening and treatment. His research investigates the survival and cost-saving aspects of cancer prevention. These cancer prevention efforts are essential for protecting individuals from the physiological detriments of cancer and saving families and health systems from getting overwhelmed by the financial toxicity of this dire condition. Dr. Karim was mentored by Dr. Sanjay Shete (Epidemiology and Biostatistics, MD Anderson) and Dr. Hye-Chung Kum (Health Policy and Management, Texas A&M University).

Juliet Kroll, Ph.D., holds a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in clinical psychology. Her training includes a two-year rotation in the Harrold Simmons Cancer Center at Southwestern Medical Center. In 2016, she won an NIH grant as a primary investigator. She has had numerous training experiences in mental health and hospital-based settings. Dr. Kroll's research interests centered on psychosomatic medicine, especially related to pulmonary physiology and stress. As a clinical psychologist, she is uniquely trained and poised to translate an understanding of biobehavioral processes into interventions that can minimize the toxicity of stress. Dr. Kroll's research focused on "Examining the Impact of Financial Stress on the Patient-Caregiver Dyad: A Combined Study of Psychological, Behavioral, & Immune Processes." Dr. Kroll is a virtual assistant for manager at Effinity Solutions.

Che Young 'Christine' Lee, Ph.D., previously worked on the Children's Obesity Research Demonstration (CORD) Project at the University of Houston, a large multi-site obesity prevention project, where she led the collection, management and analysis of data from over 2,000 children and families. Dr. Lee's dissertation project involved establishing a framework for evaluating self-report methods for estimating weight changes in individuals. Her project also resulted in three manuscripts. She holds an M.S. degree in exercise physiology from Seoul National University and a Ph.D. in kinesiology from the University of Houston. Under the mentorship of Dr. Karen Basen-Engquist in Behavioral Science, Dr. Lee's research focused on energy balance with an emphasis on how changes in physical activity may be related to health effects. Her project, "Exploring the Perceptions of Physical Activity and Weight Management in Metastatic Breast Cancer Survivorship", aimed to develop a survey tool for metastatic breast cancer patients to explore their needs, preferences and barriers to participating in physical activity and weight management.

Sukh Makhnoon, Ph.D., completed an M.S. in genetic epidemiology and a Ph.D. in public health genetics from the University of Washington. Her dissertation addressed health psychology and patient-provider interactions. Dr. Makhnoon's goal is to lead efforts to ease the translation of new genomic applications in clinical genomics by developing education and communication tools to help providers, patients, and their families better understand and discuss genetic and genomic information. Dr. Susan Peterson (Behavioral Science) serves as the primary mentor; Sukh's research focused on adherence to cancer genetic test-related recommendations and written and familial communication of uncertain genetic test results. After completing her CPRIT Postdoctoral Fellowship, Dr. Makhnoon was awarded an NCI K99/R00 grant titled Multilevel Investigation of Uncertain and Reclassified Genomic Variants in Clinical Oncology. She joined The University of Texas Southwestern School of Public Health and Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center in Dallas as an assistant professor in June 2022.

Kristin Maki, Ph.D., received a Ph.D. from the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, where she gained theoretical and methodological training in health communication. Dr. Maki's research aims to address cancer prevention by examining individual factors — including health literacy — relating to patient-provider discussions of lung cancer screening. Despite recommendations that require shared decision making before lung cancer screening, research shows more to be learned in shifting this guideline to practice. Kristin's research project, "Shared Decision-Making Foundations & Lung Cancer Screening Discussion using HINTS Data.", examined factors associated with the occurrence of lung cancer screening discussions between patients and clinicians.

Kristin Primm, Ph.D., received a B.A. in sociology from the University of Tennessee Knoxville and an M.P.H. and Ph.D. in Health Education from Texas A&M University in College Station. Dr. Primm's research focuses on rural disparities in cancer and cancer-related comorbid conditions, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and topics related to mental health and substance use disorder. She recently researched trends in mortality from five common cancers: breast, prostate, lung, pancreatic, and colorectal, to highlight disparities based on sex, levels of rurality, census region, and race. Dr. Shine Chang (professor of Epidemiology and CPRTP director) and Dr. Daphne Hernandez (associate professor, School of Nursing, UT Health) served as mentors on her project, "Population-Level Assessment of HPV Vaccination Trends, Use of E-Cigarettes to Quit Smoking & Cancer Screening Behaviors." 

Margaret Raber-Ramsey, Dr.P.H., has competed three fellowship awards with the CPRTP. She received a certificate in culinary arts from the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School in London. Next, she obtained a B.S. in nutrition/food studies from New York University. While pursuing an M.P.H. from the University of Texas, she competed and won an NCI R25E graduate research fellowship. As Dr. Raber completed her doctoral degree in public health from the University of Texas, she was awarded an NCI predoctoral fellowship, followed by an MD Anderson postdoctoral fellowship. With Dr. Karen Basen-Engquist (Behavioral Science) and Dr. Joya Chandra (Pediatrics) as mentors, she lead innovative research, "The Measurement and Impact of Healthy Cooking Behaviors in Nutrition Interventions Among Cancer Survivors and High-Risk Adults." Dr. Raber is a tenure-track assistant professor of Health Disparities Research at MD Anderson.

Ruben Rodriguez-Cano, Ph.D., earned his Ph.D. in clinical psychology at the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. During his CPRIT Postdoctoral Fellowship (Mentor: Dr. Janice Blalock, Behavioral Science), he investigated the effect of health risk factors, such as smoking or alcohol drinking, on the smoking cessation context among cancer patients. Dr. Rodriguez-Cano has clinical and research experience in substance abuse disorders and other mental health disorders since 2011. He previously trained in the development and psychopathology of children at the Prevention and Promotion Service of Child Development and Early Intervention (SEPRODIAT; University of Murcia, Spain).

Lilian J. Shin, Ph.D., has a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in Psychology. Under the mentorship of Dr. Qian Lu (Health Disparities Research), her research interests focus on increasing well-being in collectivist cultures by tailoring positive activities (e.g., strengthening relationships). During her postdoctoral fellowship, she applied concepts from positive psychology (i.e., well-being science) and health psychology to cancer prevention and control. She conducts analyses on the self-perceived burden, self-stigma and quality of life with data previously collected on Asian-American breast cancer survivors. Dr. Shin will conduct a study testing the efficacy of self-administered positive activities (household contribution and mild exercise) in increasing agency and control during unpredictable life. She is dedicated to innovative positive activities to strengthen interpersonal relationships, which may be a key component of minimizing cancer-related health disparities.

Naomi Q. P. Tan, Ph.D., received a B.A. and M.A. in communications research from the National University of Singapore. She earned a Ph.D. in communications research from Ohio State University. Dr. Tan investigated the intersection of narrative persuasion and interpersonal communication in the domain of health. In particular, she began to amass a program of research investigating questions related to cancer screening interventions with Asian-Americans and experimental work assessing the effects of family health history narratives on family health information seeking and sharing. In her dissertation, Dr. Tan introduced and tested a model of narrative effects for cultural targeting. Her research aimed to capitalize on the strengths of narrative-based messages and integrated with culturally targeted messages, to understand how to motivate cancer screening behavior among Chinese Americans, specifically in colonoscopy. Dr. Robert Volk in Health Services Research served as her primary mentor on the project, "A Culturally Appropriate Narrative & Expressive Writing Intervention to Increase Smoking Cessation Intentions & Intentions to Engage in Lung Cancer Screening among Vietnamese American Men."

Carol Wang, Ph.D., is a social and health psychologist deeply committed to cancer prevention and health behaviors in underserved communities. With a Ph.D. in social psychology and an M.A. in psychology from the University of Houston, Dr. Wang has a passion for health disparities and cancer research. During her CPRIT-funded postdoctoral fellowship, she collaborated with Dr. Qian Lu, a professor of Health Disparities Research, on intervention studies that target Asian-American breast cancer survivors. Her interest in cancer health disparities is apparent in her 14 publications (four as a first-author) and co-mentoring of young research scientists. According to her mentors, Dr. Wang is one of the best emerging scholars in the field and has consistently demonstrated independence, enthusiasm, creativity, and productivity, with a high potential to succeed as an independent researcher. She launched her career less than a year into her two-year postdoctoral fellowship and now serves as the division director of research graduate medical education (GME) at HCA Healthcare in Central West Texas.