Cancer Control and Population Sciences Co-Leaders

Dejana Braithwaite, PhD, MSc

Dejana Braithwaite, PhD, MSc

Associate Director for Cancer Population Sciences , UF Health Cancer Center
Department: MD-SURGERY-SURGONC-BMSE
Phone: (352) 294-5822
Accomplishments:
  • Inductee
    2017 · Royal Society of Medicine (UK)
  • Member, Expert Panel
    2015 · National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine, National Cancer Policy Forum
  • Mentored Research Scholar Award
    2012-2017 · American Cancer Society
  • Career Catalyst Award
    2011-2014 · Susan Komen Foundation
  • Junior Investigator Award
    2011 · National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health, University of California, San Francisco
  • Junior Investigator Award
    2010 · Academic Senate, University of California, San Francisco
  • Hellman Foundation Award for Early Career Faculty
    2009 · University of California, San Francisco
  • Developmental Award
    2009 · NIH Bay Area Breast Cancer Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE)
  • Cancer Prevention Research Fellowship (1 awarded nationally in the United States)
    2007 · Prevent Cancer Foundation/American Society for Preventive Oncology
  • Scholar-in-Training Award
    2003 · American Association for Cancer Research, Frontiers in Cancer Prevention
  • Pre-doctoral Fellowship (2 awarded nationally in the United Kingdom)
    2000 · Cancer Research U.K.
Research Summary:

Dr. Braithwaite’s research is focused on the intersection of cancer and aging, with the overarching goal of advancing and applying knowledge about aging to cancer population science. The overall goal is to encourage a more individualized approach to cancer screening and care among older adults.

Dr. Braithwaite has extensive experience, expertise, and leadership in large-scale multi-disciplinary NIH-funded efforts of breast and lung cancer screening, risk factors and outcomes, including the R01 Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC), R01 Personalized Lung Cancer Screening Network (PLuS), P50 UCSF Breast Cancer SPORE and P30 UCSF Center for Aging in Diverse Communities. As PI or investigator on several of these grants, she has developed cohorts of individuals at risk for invasive cancer and developed comprehensive databases that include pathologic, clinical, biomarker, and risk factor data, as well as follow-up for subsequent disease and death. She has performed multiple epidemiologic studies where she was able to stratify older adults at risk for or diagnosed with cancer into distinct health categories associated with substantially different life expectancies. These studies have been cited by guideline panels, such as the American Cancer Society, the US Preventive Service Taskforce and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Currently, she leads two large multi-site projects that integrate longitudinal cohort data with simulation modeling to determine the benefits and harms of screening for breast and lung cancers in older adults across the levels of advancing age, comorbid conditions and functional status. This work is poised to inform precision screening policy and clinical decision making among older population subgroups for whom the net benefits of screening are currently highly uncertain.

Publications:
Grants:
  • Jul 2023 ACTIVE
    Advancing Precision Lung Cancer Surveillance and Outcomes in Diverse Populations (PLuS2)
    NATL INST OF HLTH NCI · Principal Investigator
  • Jun 2023 ACTIVE
    UF Health Cancer Center Support Grant
    NATL INST OF HLTH NCI · Other
  • Jul 2022 – Jun 2023
    Risk of adverse cardiovascular events in breast cancer patients receiving systemic adjuvant therapy: impact of comorbidity burden
    FL BREAST CANCER FOU · Principal Investigator
  • Jun 2022 ACTIVE
    University of Florida Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center
    NATL INST OF HLTH NIA · Other
  • Sep 2021 – Dec 2022
    Comorbidity and Screening Outcomes Among Older Women Undergoing Mammography
    NATL INST OF HLTH NCI · Principal Investigator
  • Jun 2021 ACTIVE
    Personalized screening for lung cancer: the importance of co-existing chronic conditions to clinical practice and policy
    NATL INST OF HLTH NCI · Principal Investigator
  • Jan 2020 ACTIVE
    The benefits and harms of lung cancer screening in Florida
    NATL INST OF HLTH NCI · Co-Investigator
Education:
  • 2017-2021
    Fellow, Epidemiology and Public Health
    Royal Society of Medicine
  • 2006-2008
    Cancer Prevention Fellow
    American Society of Preventive Oncology/Prevent Cancer Foundation
  • 2006-2007
    Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for Health and Community
    University of California, San Francisco
  • 2004-2007
    Postdoctoral Fellow in Cancer Epidemiology
    Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco
  • 2004-2006
    Postdoctoral Fellow in Health Services Research, Institute for Health Policy Studies
    University of California, San Francisco
  • 2000-2004
    Fellow in Health Outcomes Research
    Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge, England and Cancer Research
  • 2000-2004
    Ph.D., Epidemiology
    University of Cambridge, Institute of Public Health, Faculty of Clinical Medicine, England
  • 1998-1999
    M.Sc. (high honors), Public Health
    University College London/Kings College, England
  • 1995-1998
    B.Sc. (high honors), Psychology and Psychobiology
    London Guildhall University, England
Stephanie Staras

Stephanie Staras Ph.D.

Associate Chair Of Faculty Development And Associate Professor
Department: MD-HOBI-GENERAL
Phone: (352) 294-8299
Accomplishments:
  • University of Florida Term Professorship
    2018-2019 · University of Florida
  • University of Florida Exemplary Teaching Award
    2018 · University of Florida
  • Fellow in the National Cancer Institute’s Mentored Training for Dissemination and Implementation Research in Cancer
    2016-2018 · Washington University in St. Louis
  • Health Disparities Research Loan Repayment Program Recipient. Research project entitled: “Development of an Alcohol-Related HIV preventive intervention among African American and Hispanic adolescent women.”
    2012-2014 · National Institutes of Health
  • 18th Annual Summer Course: Principles of STD / HIV Research Scholarship
    2010 · University of Washington Center for AIDS and STD’s
  • Travel Grant Recipient
    2007 · promising new investigators to the 17th International Society of Sexually Transmitted Diseases Research Meeting
  • Co-recipient of the Award for Excellence in International Health
    2001 · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
  • Best Epidemiologist in the Workforce of Tomorrow Award
    2000 · Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologist
  • 1999 Charles C. Shepard Award for Excellence in Research-– presented to the graduating student who is deemed by the faculty to have prepared the most scholarly research thesis.
    1999 · Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University
Publications:
Grants:
  • Aug 2023 ACTIVE
    Implementation of a Cancer Clinical Trials (CCT) Communication Skills Education Program for Medical Oncology Fellows
    LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOC · Co-Investigator
  • Aug 2023 ACTIVE
    Incentive funds for Graduate Medical Education Trainees
    LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOC · Co-Investigator
  • Jul 2023 ACTIVE
    Together: Transforming and Translating Discovery to Improve Health
    NATL INST OF HLTH NCATS · Faculty
  • Jun 2023 ACTIVE
    UF Health Cancer Center Support Grant
    NATL INST OF HLTH NCI · Other
  • Feb 2023 ACTIVE
    Clinical Trials Education in GME: A Needs Assessment
    LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOC · Co-Investigator
  • Sep 2022 ACTIVE
    ReMARk: A multi-level strategy to address disparities in rural HPV-related cancer prevention
    NATL INST OF HLTH NCI · Principal Investigator
  • Sep 2021 ACTIVE
    Multi-Stakeholder Engagement for Interdisciplinary Telehealth in Lewy Body Dementia
    NATL INST OF HLTH NIA · Other
  • Jul 2021 ACTIVE
    Developing and Evaluating a Machine-Learning Opioid Prediction & Risk-Stratification E-Platform (DEMONSTRATE)
    NATL INST OF HLTH NIDA · Co-Investigator
  • Jul 2021 ACTIVE
    Together: Transforming and Translating Discovery to Improve Health
    NATL INST OF HLTH NCATS · Other
  • Jul 2019 ACTIVE
    Text and Talk: A multi-level intervention to increase provider HPV vaccine recommendation effectiveness
    NATL INST OF HLTH NCI · Principal Investigator
  • Apr 2018 – Oct 2018
    Stakeholder Engagement and Multi-Risk Assessment in Dental Care Settings
    UNIV OF ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM · Co-Investigator
  • Apr 2017 – Mar 2018
    The National Dental PBRN FY18
    UNIV OF ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM · Co-Investigator
  • Dec 2016 – Jul 2019
    Establishing and Evaluating a School and University Campus-Based Approach to Implementing Serogroup B Meningococcal (MenB) Disease Recommendations in Older Adolescents and Young Adults.
    PFIZER INC · Co-Investigator
  • Feb 2016 – Jan 2020
    Maximizing HPV vaccination: Real-time Reminders, Guidance, and Recommendations
    NATL INST OF HLTH NCI · Principal Investigator
  • Dec 2015 – Oct 2016
    Staras HPV R01 Pilot – Miscellaneous Donors
    MISCELLANEOUS DONORS · Principal Investigator
  • Jul 2015 ACTIVE
    Florida Academic Cancer Center Alliance Seed Grants
    UF HEALTH SHANDS HOSPITAL · Project Manager
  • Feb 2015 – Oct 2023
    UF Health Cancer Center Pilot Project Grants funded through the Florida Consortium of National Cancer Institute Centers Program
    UF HEALTH SHANDS HOSPITAL · Project Manager
  • Jun 2014 – Dec 2017
    OneFlorida Cancer Control Network
    FL DEPT OF HLTH BIOMED RES PGM/J&E KING · Project Manager
  • Jul 2006 – Dec 2020
    21st Century Research & Economic Development Investment Program (REDIP)
    STATE UNIV SYS OF FL BOARD OF GOVERNORS · Project Manager
Education:
  • 2016-2018
    Mentored Training for Dissemination and Implementation Research in Cancer Fellowship
    Washington University, St. Louis
  • 2006
    Doctor of Philosophy, Department of Epidemiology
    Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Emory University
  • 2000
    Master of Science of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology
    Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University
  • 1998
    Bachelor of Science, Department of Biology
    Bucknell University
  • 1998
    Bachelor of Science , Department of Mathematics
    Bucknell University
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