Cancer Control and Population Science

Program co-Leaders: Cindy Blair, PhD, and Shugang Leng, PhD

Cancer Control and Population Science (CCPS) is a transdisciplinary research program incorporating expertise in surveillance, epidemiology, population genetics, anthropology, behavioral science, health economics, dissemination and implementation research, biostatistics, health services, and environmental health across the cancer continuum.

CCPS serves as the nexus for cancer control and population/community research within the University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center (UNMCCC) and its catchment area, the state of New Mexico — one of the five ”majority-minority” states in the US. The catchment area’s racially and ethnically diverse populations have substantial socioeconomic, healthcare, and geographic challenges, all contributing to tremendous cancer disparities and inequities.

The CCPS Research Program

The overarching goals of the CCPS Research Program are to conduct high impact research and disseminate interventions to reduce cancer risk, morbidity, mortality, and disparities in the multiethnic, culturally diverse, and underserved populations of New Mexico and beyond. CCPS aims are aligned with two central themes, disparities and interventions, providing a context and framework for addressing the needs of the catchment area.

Aim 1: Cancer Risk and Risk Prediction. CCPS aims to reduce cancer risks relevant to the catchment area and beyond by the discovery of risk factors and associated biomarkers that are translated to interventions to reduce cancer occurrence.

Aim 2: Cancer Screening. CCPS aims to define screening determinants relevant to the catchment area and beyond and advance implementation of evidence-based cancer screening.

Aim 3: Survival and Survivorship. CCPS aims to define the treatment and behavioral determinants of living with, through, and beyond cancer to improve outcomes, patient well-being, and length of survival.

Research Projects:

  • Environmental exposures and the legacy of hard rock mining (Aim 1);
  • Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) exposure, infection, and treatment (Aim 1);
  • Cancer Prevention for Rural Emerging Adults (Aim 1);
  • HPV: vaccination, screening and cervical cancer incidence (Aim 2)
  • Partnerships for improved cancer screening in American Indians (Aim 2);
  • Targeted therapies for American Indians (Aim 3);
  • Melanoma and targeted therapy (Aim 3);
  • Physical activity and functioning in older cancer survivors (Aim 3); and
  • Clinical Trial Accruals.

Other Selected Ongoing Catchment Area Research

  • Tobacco products, early menopause, and lung diseases (Aim 1);
  • Cancer Survivorship Care Research (Aim 3); and
  • Decision Making Regarding Clinical Trial Enrollment (Aim 3).

CCPS leadership has been meeting with the College of Population Health (COPH) leadership to discuss the benefits of CCPS membership, UNMCCC resources, mentorship, and opportunities for collaboration with members. Three new COPH faculty have become members of the CCPS Program (Buro, Chung, and Zhao), have been actively engaged with CCPS faculty, and have submitted pilot grant applications through the UNMCCC pilot program.