This year, two UCI Public Health doctoral students pursuing PhD degrees in public health with an emphasis on disease prevention, were selected as CEESP (Cancer Epidemiology Education in Special Populations) fellows. Hemangi Mavadiya, MPH, RD, and Christine Nguyen, MPH, were chosen after a rigorous and competitive application process to participate in a summer research project at UCI. With the rich research environment at UCI and mentorship from our faculty, Hemangi and Christine embarked on their respective research projects with the goal to showcase their preliminary findings and pursue future funding.
Hemangi Mavadiya, a third-year doctoral student, was selected for her research titled; Disparities in diet related perceptions and behaviors among cancer survivors. Under the mentorship of Yunxia Lu, PhD, associate professor of population health and disease prevention, Mavadiya bridges her background as a registered dietician and her passion for cancer survivorship research. After receiving her BS degree from Sir Vithaldas Thackersey College of Home Science in India, she moved to the U.S. and furthered her education by obtaining a Master of Public Health, with an emphasis in nutrition, from Loma Linda University. Now at UCI, she feels she has found her calling in researching the relationship food has on our health.
Mavadiya was invited to share her research findings at a Post-Summer Career Workshop hosted in New York City. “My overall experience was very enriching. I learned a lot from this fellowship because this was my first independent research project, where you have to create everything from scratch, and present it in a short time span. I’m working towards my manuscript for this with the help of my advisor,” says Mavadiya. “After receiving my doctorate, I plan to go into teaching and follow in my family’s footsteps”
Christine Nguyen, a first-year doctoral student, was selected for her research titled; “HPV and Hepatitis B vaccination perceptions and intentions among Vietnamese American young adults.” Under the mentorship of Sora Park Tanjasiri, DrPH, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics, Nguyen tackles health disparities facing Vietnamese communities in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and care. The focus on the younger generation within Vietnamese communities is unique as they face different generational, cultural, and linguistic challenges. The Orange County community is an ideal setting for Nguyen to conduct her research as it is home to one of the largest Vietnamese communities in the nation. Findings from this study, in authorship with Tanjasiri, will be sent to publication soon.
“This fellowship has kickstarted my research, which will focus on how our social networks shape health behaviors especially in diverse communities,” says Nguyen. “I’m proud to continue my research at UCI and in Orange County, as I am a proud alumna of UCI Public Health undergraduate and master’s program. I’m so excited for what is to come in my academic journey.”
The students’ expenses related to the research and fellowship program were partly supported by an NIH/NCI (R25 CA112383) grant, and the funds were matched by Professor Dele Ogunseitan’s endowed chair funds.
