2019 UofSC breast cancer faculty experts list
Posted on: October 4, 2019; Updated on: October 4, 2019
By Tenell Felder, tenell@mailbox.sc.edu, 803-777-3697
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The University of South Carolina
has a number of faculty members who are available to offer their expertise in breast
cancer stories. To coordinate an interview, contact the staff member listed with each
expert entry.
Disparities in breast cancer screening, treatment
Jan Eberth has conducted research exploring breast cancer screening and treatment disparities
in South Carolina and nationwide. She is available to discuss statistics on breast
cancer in South Carolina; disparities in screening or quality of treatment by geographic
region and race/ethnicity; and geographic access to mammography. Eberth is an assistant
professor in the epidemiology and biostatistics department in the Arnold School of
Public Health, as well as a core faculty member of the Cancer Prevention and Control
Program. She is the former chair of the Breast and Female Cancers Workgroup of the
S.C. Cancer Alliance.
News contact: Erin Bluvas, bluvase@mailbox.sc.edu, 843-302-1681
Whitney Zahnd researches racial and rural-urban disparities in breast cancer incidence, subtypes
and staging as well as access to mammography services. She has a particular interest
in reducing cancer disparities among rural minority populations.
News contact: Erin Bluvas, bluvase@mailbox.sc.edu, 843-302-1681
Tisha Felder has conducted research on breast health, cancer prevention and control. She can discuss
socioeconomic disparities in breast cancer patients. Felder holds a joint appointment
in the College of Nursing and the Arnold School of Public Health.
News contact: Jan Johnson, jnjohnso@mailbox.sc.edu, 803-777-1842
Swann Arp Adams’ research focuses on understanding and intervening upon cancer health disparities experienced
by African Americans. She is available to discuss her recent research on Medicaid
coverage expansion and the implications for gaps in cancer care. Adams is an associate
professor in the Arnold School of Public Health and the College of Nursing and is
co-director of the Cancer Survivorship Center.
News contact: Jan Johnson, jnjohnso@mailbox.sc.edu, 803-777-1842
Breast cancer rehabilitation
Women diagnosed with breast cancer often report problems with upper body range of
motion, strength and function. These problems are possibly caused by breast cancer
treatments such as surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Shana Harrington, a physical therapy researcher in the Arnold School of Public Health’s Department
of Exercise Science, conducts research to help prevent or minimize these problems
and to create treatment protocols that may improve mobility.
News contact: Erin Bluvas, bluvase@sc.edu, 843-302-1681.
Breast cancer genetics
Every patient’s cancer harbors unique genetic changes. Phil Buckhaults, associate professor in the drug discovery and biomedical sciences department in
the College of Pharmacy, co-authored a groundbreaking study revealing that human breast
cancers often have mutations in more than 100 genes, which vary widely from patient
to patient. Buckhaults now leads a team of researchers that are culturing tumor and
normal cells from cancer patients. These primary cells grow as organoid avatars, which
they are using to test all FDA-approved cancer drugs and make treatment decisions.
He also is studying a natural sequence variation in the tumor protein 53 (TP53) gene
in African American breast cancer patients; his research of that genetic variation
in colon cancer patients found that it accelerated disease onset for African Americans
by five years. In addition, his lab is working to identify effective treatments for
cancers with TP53 mutations. He can answer questions about cancer genetics.
News contact: Tenell Felder, tenell@mailbox.sc.edu, 803-777-3697
Social support networks in African American breast cancer patients
Sue Heiney has conducted research on minority recruitment and retention to cancer studies and
the social support networks of African American breast cancer patients. Heiney, who
is the Shealy Dunn Professor of Nursing in the College of Nursing, can discuss the
role social support networks play in African American breast cancer patients.
News contact: Jan Johnson, jnjohnso@mailbox.sc.edu, 803-777-1842
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