Zahra Ansari
Improving Colorectal Cancer Screenings in South Asian Populations
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths in the U.S., and one of the more common types of cancer experienced by South Asians. CRC incidence rate is rising for South Asians, however screening rates in South Asians remain relatively low. For the past two years, my research group and I have been organizing numerous health outreach events to disseminate information about the importance of colorectal cancer screenings in South Asian populations. This summer, I will be working to finalize a manuscript evaluating the accessibility and effectiveness of these outreach events. In the future, we hope to use this information to improve our outreach methods, as well as expand our research to include other South Asian populations (e.g. Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives).
Message To Sponsor
This summer I helped conduct research on the accessibility and acceptability of colorectal cancer outreach events in South Asian populations. The experience was extremely valuable and rewarding in that it helped solidify public health as a career path. I had the opportunity to learn valuable skills such as grant writing and writing academic papers, which will be beneficial for when I apply to jobs post-graduation. I want to thank the donors that made this internship possible for giving me this experience; it has strongly influenced my personal academic development. I will carry it into all the work I do, whether research oriented, or non-research oriented.