Folakemi Odedina, Ph.D., a professor of pharmacy and the director of the UF Shands Cancer Center’s Cancer Health Disparities Program, served on the planning committee for National Cancer Institute Global Cancer Research Day, which was held in Washington, DC in March in conjuction with the Consortium of Universities for Global Health Annual Meeting.
The meeting aimed to engage a diverse range of participants including both cancer researchers and global health professionals who may not necessarily have specific cancer expertise, but have an interest in exploring the intersection between global health and cancer. The Global Cancer Research Day meeting utilized a highly interactive format to engage the cancer research and global health communities in a rich dialogue about cross-cutting issues. Topics explored included capacity building, cancers related to infectious diseases (including HIV-related malignancies), lessons learned in global health and tapping into the global health community’s expertise, training and education, effective collaboration with LMIC professionals, and other topics that span the global health and cancer fields.
NCI Director Dr. Harold Varmus was invited as a featured speaker to provide insight into his vision of moving global cancer research efforts forward.