Ph.D. pathways in cancer research: Miranda Reid

Breaking new ground in implementation science and patient-centered care

By Chloe Leib

Miranda Reid
Miranda Reid

Miranda Reid is not your typical student. Reid is the only student to win a prestigious award from the National Cancer Institute in implementation science last year and is already making waves in the worlds of health care, research, and public health.

With an impressive trajectory beginning in government studies and expanding into medicine and public health, Reid’s story highlights the power of combining research with hands-on patient care to create lasting change in health care.

Journey to the M.D.-Ph.D. program

Reid’s journey started at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where she majored in government. Although Reid’s undergraduate studies were rooted in politics, her interest in systems-level thinking and the intersection of research and patient care quickly took center stage. Her path to becoming a physician-scientist was influenced by the desire to address health care challenges from both a clinical and systems perspective.

Miranda presents her research funded by a National Cancer Institute Cancer Implementation Science Public Goods Award at the 17th Annual Conference for the Science of Dissemination and Implementation in Health in December 2024.

“The more I learned about how systems research and direct patient care could complement each other, the more I wanted to dive into a career where I could address both sides,” Reid said.

Reid’s decision to pursue a dual M.D.-Ph.D. in health outcomes and implementation science in the UF College of Medicine was also fueled by her passion for patient-centered care and research. She earned a master’s degree in public health from Washington University in St. Louis, which deepened her understanding of global health challenges and how research could be used to improve health care delivery.

M.D.-Ph.D. experience: balancing research and medical training

One of Reid’s favorite parts of the M.D.-Ph.D. program is the rewarding research opportunities. One of the main benefits of the program, she notes, is the dedicated time to focus on research without the constraints of a typical medical curriculum.

“The program gives you the space to pursue research deeply and hone skills that are difficult to develop in a traditional clinical setting,” Reid said.

However, the dual focus comes with challenges. The first few years in the program are an intense combination of medical school courses and research, which can be stressful and demanding. But for Reid, the reward of being able to approach problems from both a research and clinical perspective has made the challenges worthwhile.

When she’s not busy with her research or clinical work, Reid enjoys spending her free time hiking at Sweetwater, attending concerts with friends at Heartwood, and cooking and baking. These activities help to give her the balance she needs while pursuing her ambitious career.

Research focus: sustainability, shared decision-making, and implementation science

Reid’s main research interests revolve around implementation science, an emerging field focused on the methods that help take research findings from the lab and translate them into real-world applications. Reid completes her research in the Division of Implementation Science and Health Interventions in the Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics under the mentorship of Ramzi Salloum, Ph.D., associate director for community outreach and engagement at the UF Health Cancer Center.

Miranda at the UF M.D.-Ph.D. 2024 fall retreat with fellow M.D.-Ph.D. students Jeff Arni Valisno, middle, Scott Cohen, right. Scott and Miranda won the two best presentation awards at the retreat.

One of her major areas of focus is sustainability, or ensuring that health interventions continue to have an impact even after the team has moved on.

“I’m interested in how to make sure programs and research efforts last,” Reid said. “It’s not enough to collect data and show success; you have to think about what happens when you leave and how to make sure the work continues.”

Reid’s current work focuses on the sustainability of tobacco treatment programs, particularly those funded by the National Cancer Institute. Her research looks at what makes these programs successful, what strategies help sustain them over time, and why some end after the initial funding ends.

Another aspect of her research is the exploration of shared decision-making in health care.

“It’s about ensuring that patients’ voices and priorities are at the center of their care,” she said.

As more health care systems recognize the value of implementation science, there’s an opportunity to make a difference in how health interventions are delivered and sustained.

Reid’s work is at the intersection of research and health care and is contributing to a growing body of knowledge that aims to make health care systems more effective, sustainable, and patient-centered.

Reid is excited about the growing recognition of implementation of science as a field.

“It feels like we’re starting to gain momentum,” she said.

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