How long have you been a member of AACE?
Dr. Williams has been a member since 2008.
What is your current position and where do you work?
She is currently an Assistant Professor in the College of Public Health at George Mason University.
Describe your current interest in the field of cancer education.
Dr. Williams began her career focusing on preventative cancer, lifestyle prevention, cervical and colorectal cancer screening at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Her interests have evolved to breast and lung screening and include a range of intervention approaches from provider education, using community health workers for community outreach, especially in the Mississippi delta region.
How did your interest in the field of cancer education begin?
In the early 2000s while attending grad school, she attended an early remote course at MD Anderson. It was there that she learned of cancer health disparities. She wanted to know more about the true underlying causes of disparities. She attended an R25 program at University of Alabama-Birmingham, where she encountered AACE members, including past presidents, who were leaders in cancer education.
Describe some of your research as it relates to cancer education.
Her current work funded by the Prevent Cancer Foundation is developing cancer education intervention on lung cancer screening using community health workers in Federally Qualified Health Centers in Mississippi.
She also is developing social media messaging intervention educating younger black women who are at risk for breast cancer.
Do you have any advice for individuals interested in pursuing a career in cancer education?
She advises those pursuing a career in cancer education to study and work with an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. Also, she suggests enrolling in a predoc program in Cancer Prevention and Control.