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Huntsman Cancer Institute at the (the U) is proud to announce the appointment of , investigator at Huntsman Cancer Institute and professor in the College of Nursing at the U, as the inaugural leader of the Global Oncology Initiative. Kepka brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to cancer prevention and global health, which makes her an ideal choice to lead this important initiative.
Kepka aims to bring together investigators, research team members, and staff to learn more about global oncology. She plans to leverage the knowledge gained from these international collaborations to develop and implement evidence-based strategies that can be adapted to various settings. By sharing insights and best practices, Kepka seeks to enhance cancer prevention and treatment protocols both locally and globally. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the similarities and differences in cancer prevention and treatment across the world. 鈥淲e definitely know people in rural and frontier communities, who are living more remotely, are going to have similar challenges to access cancer prevention and treatment and survivorship care, as you see in many international countries,鈥 she notes.
鈥淗PV self-collection can be a complete game changer.鈥
By sharing insights and best practices, Kepka seeks to enhance cancer prevention and treatment protocols both locally and globally. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the similarities and differences in cancer prevention and treatment across the world. 鈥淲e definitely know people in rural and frontier communities, who are living more remotely, are going to have similar challenges to access cancer prevention and treatment and survivorship care, as you see in many international countries,鈥 she notes.
One of the key goals of the Global Oncology Initiative is to build sustainable partnerships with international cancer centers and communities. Kepka envisions long-term collaborations that involve mutual learning and exchange of knowledge, ultimately improving cancer prevention, early detection, and care both locally and globally. She highlights the potential of innovations such as HPV self-collection, which allows individuals to collect their own sample for testing the human papillomavirus (HPV), to significantly impact cancer screening rates in low-resource settings.
鈥淗PV self-collection can be a complete game changer for a low-resource country like Ghana or Uganda鈥攁nd it鈥檚 also an innovative method we are providing in some of our rural communities in Utah to make it easier for patients who have to travel long distances to access healthcare,鈥 she explains.
鈥淗aving a solution for the prevention of cervical cancer and other related cancers is incredibly exciting鈥
Kepka's journey in the field of oncology and public health began as a volunteer during her undergraduate studies at Northwestern 人妻中出视频. Reflecting on her early experiences, she says, 鈥淚 knew I wanted to contribute in terms of service to improving communities that had a variety of challenges.鈥
Her passion for improving community health led her to volunteer at an orphanage in Mexico and as a Peace Corps volunteer in Jamaica, where she worked with organizations supporting AIDS patients during the late 1990s. These experiences shaped her dedication to addressing health disparities and improving access to quality healthcare.
Kepka's academic journey includes a PhD in health services from the 人妻中出视频 of Washington School of Public 人妻中出视频. She received her MPH from the 人妻中出视频 of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public 人妻中出视频. Her research has focused on cancer prevention, inspired by the potential to prevent cervical cancer. 鈥淗aving a solution for the prevention of cervical cancer and other related cancers is incredibly exciting,鈥 she shares.
鈥淲hat I've learned about the coalition is the importance of partnerships, and partnerships outside of your usual sphere.鈥
Her work with the Mountain West HPV Vaccination Coalition, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, exemplifies her commitment to community partnerships and engagement. The coalition has brought together over 400 members from various sectors to improve vaccination rates across the West. 鈥淲hat I've learned about the coalition is the importance of partnerships, and partnerships outside of your usual sphere,鈥 she says.
Looking ahead, Kepka envisions a future where the Global Oncology Initiative continues to foster international collaborations, driving innovations in cancer prevention and care. She hopes to see significant advancements in cancer screenings and treatments, particularly in low-resource settings, ultimately reducing global health disparities.
The critical research happening every day at Huntsman Cancer Institute is supported by the National Institutes of 人妻中出视频/National Cancer Institute, including cancer center support grant P30 CA042014, as well as Huntsman Cancer Foundation.
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Heather Simonsen
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Huntsman Cancer Institute
801 581-3194
public.affairs@hci.utah.edu
About Huntsman Cancer Institute at the 人妻中出视频 of Utah
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the is the National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center for Utah, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming. With a legacy of innovative cancer research, groundbreaking discoveries, and world-class patient care, we are transforming the way cancer is understood, prevented, diagnosed, treated, and survived. Huntsman Cancer Institute focuses on delivering the most advanced cancer healing and prevention through scientific breakthroughs and cutting-edge technology to advance cancer treatments of the future beyond the standard of care today. We have more than 300 open clinical trials and 250 research teams studying cancer. More genes for inherited cancers have been discovered at Huntsman Cancer Institute than at any other cancer center. Our scientists are world-renowned for understanding how cancer begins and using that knowledge to develop innovative approaches to treat each patient鈥檚 unique disease. Huntsman Cancer Institute was founded by Jon M. and Karen Huntsman.
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The critical research happening every day at Huntsman Cancer Institute is supported by the National Institutes of 人妻中出视频/National Cancer Institute, including cancer center support grant P30 CA042014, as well as Huntsman Cancer Foundation.