November 11 2021
The University of Michigan T32 in Cancer Care Delivery Research (CCDR), funded by the National Cancer Institute, accepted its first cohort of pre- and post- doctoral scholars in 2020. Trainees are focused on identifying patterns and consequences of cancer care delivery, improving patient-centered and system-level outcomes in cancer, and optimizing cancer care delivery interventions through implementation science.
To further the training of the next generation of scientists focused on cancer care delivery, the T32 formed a unique partnership with NRG Oncology to offer a fellowship position in cancer care delivery research. Megan A. Mullins, PhD, MPH is the inaugural NRG Oncology CCDR Fellow. Under the mentorship of CCDR Committee leadership, Mary Cooley, PhD, RN, FAAN and Matthew Hudson, PhD, MPH and her T32 mentor Lauren Wallner, PhD, MPH, Dr. Mullins has participated in CCDR committee meetings, helped advance CCDR concepts, built collaborations with other NRG Oncology committees and secured funding for a small pilot that will be fielded in the NCORP through NRG Oncology.
Despite the National Institute of Health’s(NIH) acknowledgement of sexual and gender minorities as a disparity population in 2016, most clinical practices and NIH funded trials do not measure sexual orientation or gender identity (SOGI), hindering our ability to understand and intervene on disparities in cancer care delivery in these populations. Dr. Mullins will recruit 10 practices to better understand SOGI measurement and what implementation strategies may promote more widespread SOGI measurement across community oncology practices.
“The NCORP provides a great resource for understanding and improving the quality and equity of cancer care in the US. My time as a CCDR Fellow with NRG has been invaluable for understanding how I can work in the NCORP, and I am sure my learning will continue as I begin recruiting practices for my pilot study, ” stated Dr. Mullins
“I am really excited about this new partnership with NRG because it gives early-career scientists interested in CCDR insight into how these studies are done in real-world settings, in diverse practices across the country. I, myself wish I had this opportunity as an early-career CCDR investigator and think it will be a key part in training the next generation of scientists in cancer care delivery research,” added Dr. Wallner.
”The unique partnership between our training program and NRG oncology helps advance the field of cancer care delivery research by building capacity and relationships. We are grateful to NRG Oncology leadership for their steadfast support of this effort, which will accelerate the opportunity to measure and improve cancer care delivery in the United States,” noted Dr. Friese.