University Global Partnership Network: Cancer INequalities Collaboration (UGPN CINC)
Overview
Globally there are persistent and unacceptable inequalities in individuals’ cancer experience and outcomes (e.g. survival). This collaboration brings together several disciplines, including behavioural science, health services research, social work, nursing and epidemiology as well as research on a wide range of inequalities, including learning disability, socioeconomic status and ethnicity.
We have formed a trilateral collaboration between University of Surrey, NC State University and University of Wollongong Australia to maximise our global impact.
Objectives
Objective 1: To develop and facilitate a high quality and impactful research collaboration between faculty/researchers in cancer inequalities research
Objective 2: To co-write/publish high quality research papers in the cancer inequalities field by identifying existing data sources/synergistic opportunities
Objective 3: To accelerate the impact of our work by identifying interventions that can be used internationally to reduce cancer inequalities (ultimately with a view to submit high-quality research bids in the field).
Funder
Team
Principal investigator
Professor Katriina Whitaker
Professor of Psychology and Lead for Cancer Care
Biography
Katriina Whitaker is Professor of Psychology in the School of Health Sciences at the University of Surrey and co-leads the Cancer Care group (@CancerAtSurrey) with Dr Rob Kerrison. Katriina's own programme of work focuses on early diagnosis and cancer, with a particular interest in healthcare-seeking and health inequalities. Katriina is a Chartered Psychologist and was made a Fellow of the British Psychological Society in 2017. Katriina is an expert review panel member for Cancer Research UK's Early Diagnosis & Detection Trials, Behavioural Health System and Health Economics research panel.
Co-investigators
Dr Anna Cox
Senior Lecturer in Health and Social Care
Cathrine Hoyo
Director, Epidemiology and Environmental Epigenomics Laboratory -North Carolina State University
Gemma McErlean
Senior Lecturer in Cancer Nursing, University of Wollongong
Kim Stansbury
Associate Professor, School of Social Work - North Carolina State University
Collaborators and advisors - England
Professor Jo Armes
Professor of Cancer Care and Lead for Digital Health
Mar Estupinan
Postgraduate researcher
Natalie Gil
Postgraduate researcher
Dr Robert Kerrison
Senior Lecturer and Co-Lead for Cancer Care
Ciara Lawrence
Mencap Engagement lead
Dr Afrodita Marcu
Research Fellow (RA II)
Collaborators and advisors – Australia
Professor Geoff Delaney
Radiation Oncologist - SWSLHD, UNSW
Professor Ian Kerridge
Haematologist and Transplant Physician and Professor of Bioethics - USYD, RNSH
Dr Abhijit Pal
Medical Oncologist - SWSLHD
Dr Ben Smith
Behavioural Scientist, UNSW
Dr Mei Ling Yap
Radiation Oncologist, SWSLHD, UNSW
Meetings and events
Workshop 1: Developing our collaboration (complete)
Surrey-led online workshop: 23rd Nov 2022, 8-10pm UK time.
University of Surrey presentations:
- My journey to cervical screening and why is it important that we address inequalities for people with learning disabilities (Ciara Lawrence, Mencap Engagement lead)
- Improving early cancer diagnosis for people with learning disabilities (Natalie Gil, PhD student)
- Intersectionality and breast cancer care in England (Mar Estupinan, PhD student)
- Inequalities in cancer screening participation among men and women with severe mental illness (Dr Rob Kerrison)
- Ethnic inequalities in cancer and in addressing cultural barriers to timely symptomatic presentation (Dr Afrodita Marcu)
- Cancer in prisons (Professor Jo Armes)
University of Wollongong/Australian collaborator presentations
- An assessment of cancer stage, surgery and radiotherapy receipt, and survival comparing Aboriginal with non-Aboriginal cancer presentations in NSW 2009-2018 - Professor Geoff Delaney SWSLHD, UNSW (Radiation Oncologist)
- Disparities in access to cancer care within Australia and globally, with a recent focus on refugees and recent migrants - Dr Mei Ling Yap SWSLHD, UNSW (Radiation Oncologist)
- Barriers to cancer clinical trial access - Dr Abhijit Pal, SWSLHD (Medical Oncologist)
- Culturally sensitive care for fear of cancer recurrence - Dr Ben Smith, UNSW (Behavioural Scientist)
- Inequities in Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation - Prof Ian Kerridge, USYD, RNSH (Haematologist and Transplant Physician and Professor of Bioethics)
- Providing culturally congruent care to cancer patients - Dr Gemma McErlean SWSLHD (Cancer Nursing Researcher)
North Carolina State University presentations
HPV genotypes and Cervical cancer disparities - Professor Cathrine Hoyo (Director, Epidemiology and Environmental Epigenomics Laboratory)
Workshop 2: Writing together (complete)
University of Wollongong led in-person visit, 09 January – 11 January 2023
Workshop 3: Accelerating impact (scheduled)
University of Surrey, July 2023