Ifeanyi “Beverly” Chukwudozie, MPH, MBA, the University of Illinois Cancer Center Assistant Director for Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC), has received a 2023 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Minority Scholar in Cancer Research Award.
Chukwudozie, along with nine other graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from around the country, received the award at the 16th AACR Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorites and the Medically Underserved in Orlando, Florida, that wrapped up October 2. She is pursuing her doctoral degree in the Epidemiology and Biostatistics Department at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) School of Public Health (SPH).
Cancer Research Award Details
During the AACR meeting, Chukwudozie presented her research on “Examining Racial Differences in Area-Level Factors Associated with Prostate Cancer Stage at Diagnosis: A Systematic Review,” mentored by Cancer Center member Vincent L. Freeman, MD, MPH, part of the Cancer Prevention and Control research program and an Associate Professor in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at UIC SPH. The presentation was preliminary work from her research, in which she plans to ultimately identify contextual factors associated with prostate cancer disparities.
The purpose of the AACR Minority Scholar in Cancer Research Award, supported by a grant provided by the National Cancer Institute’s Center for Reducing Cancer Health Disparities, is to foster and enhance the education and training of promising minority scholars working in cancer research.
“I am honored to receive the AACR Minority Scholar in Cancer Research Award, which reinforces the importance of our work in addressing cancer disparities. The award allowed me to showcase my work on prostate cancer during the awareness month of September and build broader professional networks to advance my next step as an early-career scholar.”
Chukwudozie aspires to employ cutting-edge methodologies to address intricate public health challenges and combat disparities in cancer outcomes. In addition, she is committed to fostering diversity within the healthcare and research workforce by creating and supporting programs to inspire and nurture young scientists.