T32 Cancer Disparities Training Program
About
The T32 Cancer Disparities Training Program seeks to train researchers who are prepared to conduct community-engaged research to develop, test, and disseminate interventions in both clinical and community settings to reduce cancer-related health disparities among communities most impacted by inequities.
The program also intends to enhance the diversity of the research workforce in this area of study by specifically recruiting individuals from underrepresented or under-resourced populations.
The program is innovative in focusing on education and experience in community-engaged research and on interventions to reduce cancer disparities. It's also innovative in mentorship, in which community members provide cultural mentoring and partnership in all aspects of research.
This T32 Cancer Disparities Training Program is a joint effort between the University of Minnesota Medical School and School of Public Health. It's funded by the National Cancer Institute, Grant T32 CA163184.
Doctoral Student Fellowship Available
We are hiring! We seek an exceptional candidate to join our accomplished cohort of trainees. The selected candidate will also receive a PhD scholarship. Consider applying if you are interested in gaining skills to develop, test, and disseminate interventions in both clinical and community settings, to reduce cancer-related health disparities among communities most affected by health inequities. The program focuses on education and experience in community-engaged research, as well as interventions aimed at reducing cancer disparities.
We are now accepting applications for one pre-doctoral trainee position. The position is open until filled.
Program Experience
The program provides exceptional educational and career development opportunities.
Trainees will do the following:
- Engage in ongoing and independent research that focuses on developing, testing, and evaluating interventions in clinical and community settings to reduce cancer-related inequities among underrepresented and underresourced populations (broadly defined here to include race, ethnicity, immigration status, age, income, geography, gender, sexual orientation, etc).
- Receive interdisciplinary training through two required core courses: a monthly seminar and a writing workshop.
- Collaborate with a dynamic, federally funded, multi-disciplinary team of investigators (psychologists, physicians, epidemiologists, and statisticians) and with cultural community organizations that have a history of community-university research partnerships to address community-identified problems.
The program can be tailored to suit the trainee's training requirements with opportunities for teaching experience, clinical and community-based work, authorship on relevant manuscripts, collaborative grant writing experience, and rigorous independent grant submission. There is also support for conference travel and other training experiences.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be U.S. citizens, U.S. non-citizen nationals, or U.S. permanent residents.
(Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible for Kirschstein-NRSA support). - Preferred candidates will have experience working with community-based organizations.
- Interest and experience within cancer-related health disparities research is preferred.
- Criteria for selection of all fellows include academic performance and a career orientation toward independent research in an academic, clinical, or public health setting related to cancer and health disparities.
- Fellows must be able to commit full-time in the program at the time of appointment, and must also be available for in-person attendance for many of the program's requirements.
- Predoctoral applicants will typically have a master’s degree or equivalent degree in a biologic or behavioral discipline and must be accepted into a PhD program in the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
- Postdoctoral applicants must have a doctoral degree (MD, PhD, etc.) in any of the following disciplines: medicine, behavioral science, epidemiology, health education, health services research, sociology, anthropology, clinical, social or counseling psychology, or a related discipline.
- Preferred postdoctoral candidates will have experience and peer-reviewed publications in above disciplines.
Stipend and Benefits
Stipend and Benefits
Stipend
Stipends are based on current NIH-approved levels and years of postdoctoral experience. Please note that there is a potential payback requirement for postdoctoral trainees who take non-research positions prior to the end of two years.
Tuition
The amount of tuition covered by the program is subject to the actual NIH award. Support is provided for predoctoral trainees and is partially available for postdoctoral coursework.
Other training-related expenses
Reimbursement for textbooks, other required course materials, and certain other research-related expenses are on a pre-approval basis.
Health insurance
Predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees are encouraged and eligible to secure the Graduate Assistant Health Plan for single coverage through the University of Minnesota (trainees pay 5%).
If preferred, trainees can find their own health insurance provider, and the program will reimburse them for an amount up to the Graduate Assistant Health Plan single coverage rate. Prior permission from the program coordinator is required.
Travel
Reimbursement of pre-approved travel expenses is limited to one professional meeting per grant year. Maximum dollar amount is subject to the actual NIH award, approximately $800-1,000 annually.
Mentors
Trainees will each have three mentors: one each from medicine, public health, and the community.
Postdoctoral trainees: This is a mutual choice between the fellow and program leadership.
Predoctoral trainees: Advisor/mentor assignments are partially made by the graduate program with consultation from program leadership and the PhD student.
Evaluations
Annual evaluation requirements include performance evaluations, updates for human subjects documentation, and the program's grant continuations or renewals.
Meet the Program Team
- Leadership Steering Committee
- Community Advisory Committee
- Faculty Mentors
- Post-doctoral Fellows
- Pre-doctoral Fellows
Meet the Steering committee:
- Michele Allen, MD, MS
Principal Investigator & Program Director
Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine and Family Medicine;
Director, Program in Health Disparities Research; Endowed Chair of Health
Equity Research; Medical School - Irina Stepanov, PhD
Principal Investigator & Program Director
Distinguished McKnight University Professor; Mayo Professor, Division of
Environmental Health Sciences; School of Public Health - Susan Everson-Rose, PhD, MPH
Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine;
Associate Director, Program in Health Disparities Research; Medical School;
Affiliate Professor, School of Public Health - Steven Fu, MD, MSCE
Professor, Department of Medicine; Medical School; Director, Center for Care
Delivery and Outcomes Research, Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical
Center - Rhonda Jones-Webb, PhD
Professor, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health; School of Public
Health; Member, Masonic Cancer Center (MCC); Associate Director of
Engagement and Equity, Cannabis Research Center, School of Public Health - Dana Mowls Carroll, Ph.D., M.P.H.
McKnight Presidential Fellow
Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health
Director, Tobacco Research Programs, Masonic Cancer Center
University of Minnesota
About the Community Advisory Committee:
The Community Advisory Committee is comprised of leaders of various community organizations who have demonstrated a clear commitment to issues of cancer-related health disparities, experience with community-engaged research, and commitment to the training of diverse health professionals. Community mentors will provide perspectives and guidance from diverse community groups to help shape, implement, and evaluate the program and mentor predoctoral and postdoctoral fellows as they establish research relationships with community members and community-based organizations. Fellows will be matched with a community mentor to ensure they are prepared to conduct cancer-related health disparities research in partnership with community members and community-based organizations. It will also provide fellows a perspective on building respect and trust with communities and sharing power and intellectual authority.
Meet the Medical School Faculty Mentors:
- Michele Allen, MD, MS*
- Susan Everson-Rose, PhD, MD*
- Steven Fu, MD*
- Carol Lange, PhD
- Anna Prizment, PhD, MPH
- Logan Spector, PhD
- Natalia Tretyakova, PhD
- Lucie Turcotte, MD, MPH
- Andrew Busch, PhD, LP
- Anne Blaes, MD
- Erin Marcotte, MPH, PhD
- Rebekah Pratt, PhD
- Andrew Venteicher, MD, PhD
- Rachel Vogel, PhD
- Sandra Japuntich, PhD, LP - HHRI
- Jen Poynter, PhD, MPH - MCC
1 Updated Sep. 2025
* T32 CHD Steering Committee
Meet the School of Public Health Faculty Mentors:
- Irina Stepanov, PhD*
- Rhonda Jones-Webb, PhD*
- Dana Carroll, PhD, MPH*
- M. Kumi Smith, PhD
- Silvia Balbo, PhD
- Melissa Laska, PhD, RD
- Heather Nelson, PhD, MPH
- Theresa Osypuk, SD
- BR Simon Rosser, PhD, MPH
- Rachel Widome, PhD
- Carrie Henning-Smith, PhD, MPH, MSW
- Kenneth Resnicow, PhD
- Katherine Hendel, PhD, MPH, RD
- Helen Parsons, PhD, MPH
1 Updated Sep. 2025
* T32 CHD Steering Committee
- Tyler Dregney, PhD
- Start Date: September 2024
- Mentors: Andrew Busch, PhD, LP; Katherine Hendel, PhD, MS, RD
- Tyler recently graduated with his PhD from the School of Kinesiology from the University of Minnesota. His emphasis was sport and exercise psychology with a minor in gerontology from the School of Public Health. His research has focused on physical activity promotion among various populations, and he hopes to build on this foundation by addressing health disparities.
- Jessee Beetch, PhD
- Start Date: September 2024
- Mentors: M. Kumi Smith, PhD; Rebekah Pratt, PhD
- Dr. Jessee Beetch received her PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences in Oklahoma City, OK. Her research interests focus on integrating chronic and infectious disease research with a social epidemiology perspective. In her free time, she enjoys yoga and reading.
- Rob Besaw, PhD
- Start Date: December 2025
- Mentors: Rachel Vogel, PhD; Helen Parsons, PhD, MPH
- Rob received his PhD in Health Policy and Health Services Research from Vanderbilt University. His interests lie at the intersection of cancer outcomes research and prescription drug policy, particularly for older adults and other vulnerable populations.
- Lorna Bittencourt
- Program: Environmental and Health Sciences
- Start Date: September 2023
- Mentors: Irina Stepanov, PhD; Dana Carroll, PhD, MPH; Dorothy Hatsukami, PhD
- Lorna is an enthusiastic Environmental and Health Sciences PhD student at the University of Minnesota. Originally from Brazil, she holds a psychology degree and a master's in medicine and health. Currently, her research is dedicated to developing and implementing community-based interventions on tobacco cessation in minoritized groups such as women and rural communities, as well as tobacco control policies related to menthol and filter ventilation. Lorna’s research interests are behavior change, tobacco cessation, cancer prevention, community-based participatory research, and epidemiological methods. Beyond her academic pursuits, Lorna finds joy in discovering new restaurants and embarking on adventures with her family.
- Ben C. D. Weideman
- Program: Health Services Research, Policy, and Administration
- Start Date: September 2024
- Mentors: M. Kumi Smith, PhD; Michele Allen, MD, MS
- Ben (they/them) is a PhD student in Health Services Research, Policy, and Administration at the University of Minnesota. Their research agenda emphasizes how oppressive gender structures underlie medical and public health systems. Their work documents how these systems influence the health and wellbeing of trans and gender diverse communities and documents the critical need for intersectionality-informed interventions to advance health equity. Ben is also a graduate research assistant on the Elsie study, a mixed methods project aimed at learning how to more effectively recruit and include sexual and gender minoritized people in cancer research.
Contact
Michele Allen, MD, MS - Principal Investigator & Program Director
Associate Professor, Family Medicine and Community Health; Director, Program in Health Disparities Research, Endowed Chair for Health Equity Research
Irina Stepanov, PhD - Principal Investigator & Program Director
Mayo Professor, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health
Rodolfo Batres, MD - Program Coordinator, [email protected]