Cervical Researchers Empowerment Women: Engagement for Multi-Level Intervention

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ABSTRACT Sierra Stites, MPH candidate, served as student researcher (unfunded by NIH) with the University of Kansas Sexual Health Empowerment Team's research projects since 2019, including the independent study project for her MPH degree to come up with a strategic plan for the future of the Tri-City Cervical Cancer Prevention Study among Women in the Justice System (R01CA226838, 2018-2023). Ms. Stites is set to complete her MPH in May 2021, so will be applying for this diversity supplement as a post-Master's candidate. This supplement will provide an opportunity for her to build new skills in community-engaged health sciences research, as she prepares to think about and apply for future graduate or medical school. Because her proposed subproject dovetails nicely with her research and career goals, as well as the future goals of the parent award, she is the ideal candidate for a diversity supplement on the Tri-City parent grant. The parent grant (R01CA226838) was designed with the goal of creating intervention models that address upstream determinants of health, taking into consideration justice-involved women's needs. But for the last 10 years, what our research program has been missing is the specific voices and involvement of the women for whom our research is designed to serve. This participant engagement in the process is critical to developing, implementing, and evaluating truly impactful cancer prevention interventions. This diversity supplement will fill that gap, and in the process contribute to the development of the candidate's career. The primary objective of Ms. Stites's proposed diversity supplement is to conduct a participatory action research (PAR) project to inform a multi-level cervical cancer prevention intervention for women with criminal legal system (CLS) involvement. Ms. Stites's long-term goal is to be a public health researcher or clinician dedicated to improving the lives of society's most vulnerable women, narrowing disparities in their health outcomes by focusing on participant-driven structural solutions to end disparities. Ms. Stites's career development goals under the mentorship of PI Megha Ramaswamy are to 1) Develop skills in participatory action research; 2) Be conversant in the scholarship on medical mistrust and structural racism in cancer prevention and care; 3) Learn about the role of participant engagement in multi-level cancer prevention research; 4) Engage with clinician-researchers to decide about the best path forward: a PhD or medical school. At the completion of this diversity supplement, Ms. Stites will be well-poised to move on to the next stage of her career with a solid track record of research skills, scholarship, and engagement with clinicians and researchers all working toward the same goal to end cancer disparities. She will be able to apply her new skills in PAR- informed cancer prevention research to advance her research program and that of the Tri-City team, as a whole. She will be encouraged to apply for post-master's education upon completion of this diversity supplement, to further solidify and realize her goals.