Moffitt’s Dr. Tiffany Carson joins Global Cancer Grand Challenges team to tackle cancer inequities

TAMPA, Fla. — An international interdisciplinary team of researchers, including Moffitt Cancer Center’s Tiffany Carson, Ph.D., has been selected to receive a Cancer Grand Challenges award. Co-founded by the National Cancer Institute and Cancer Research UK, Cancer Grand Challenges supports a community of diverse, global teams to come together, think differently and take on some of cancer’s toughest challenges.

Carson is part of the SAMBAI (Societal, Ancestry, Molecular and Biological Analyses of Inequalities) team led by Melissa Davis, Ph.D., from Morehouse School of Medicine. The team will receive up to $25 million over the next five years to develop novel approaches to addressing cancer inequities.

Inequities in cancer prevention, screening and treatment lead to disparities in cancer incidence and mortality and are a major public health concern. The SAMBAI team aims to build an unprecedented resource, which will comprise a comprehensive measurement of social, environmental, genetic and biological factors that can be used to help define the causes of disparate outcomes in the selected populations. The team will focus on prostate, breast and pancreatic cancers spanning diverse cohorts of African descent from regions of Africa, the UK and the U.S.

“We are honored to have Dr. Carson and other Moffitt investigators contribute to the stellar transdisciplinary SAMBAI team. This initiative is an outstanding example of Moffitt’s deep commitment to fostering scientific collaboration to advance cancer health equity at the local, national and international level,” said Susan Vadaparampil, Ph.D., M.P.H., associate center director of Community Outreach, Engagement and Equity and interim associate center director of Population Science.

The SAMBAI team is comprised of clinicians, advocates and scientists across 15 institutions and four countries. It is one of five new Cancer Grand Challenges teams announced today.

“Together with our network of visionary partners and research leaders, Cancer Grand Challenges unites the world’s brightest minds across boundaries and disciplines and aims to overcome cancer’s toughest problems,” said David Scott, Ph.D., director of Cancer Grand Challenges. “With this investment, our largest to date, we continue to grow our global research community and fund new teams that have the potential to surface discoveries that could positively impact cancer outcomes.”

About Moffitt Cancer Center
Moffitt is dedicated to one lifesaving mission: to contribute to the prevention and cure of cancer. The Tampa-based facility is one of only 56 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, a distinction that recognizes Moffitt’s scientific excellence, multidisciplinary research, and robust training and education. Moffitt’s expert nursing staff is recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center with Magnet^® status, its highest distinction. With more than 9,000 team members, Moffitt has an economic impact in the state of $2.4 billion. For more information, call 1-888-MOFFITT (1-888-663-3488), visit MOFFITT.org, and follow the momentum on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. 

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