Dr. Vanessa Sheppard promoted to Associate Vice President for Population and Public Health Strategic Initiatives
Vanessa Sheppard Ph.D. will be stepping away to take on a new role within the university
Dr. Vanessa Sheppard will be stepping away from her role as HBP Department Chair after being selected as the Associate Vice President for Population and Public Health Strategic Initiatives in the Office of the VP for Health Sciences. Dr. Sheppard has been an invaluable leader for our department, and we are grateful for her many contributions and dedication to our community. Dr. Sheppard is an internationally renowned scholar focused on cancer health equity. She has received funding from the NIH, the American Cancer Society, and other entities to help reduce inequities in cancer outcomes through scholarship, teaching, and service. Dr. Sheppard has harnessed her expertise in health services research, clinical trials, and behavioral interventions to address gaps in care for African-American, African-immigrant and Latina populations. Dr. Sheppard has led studies focused on factors that have potential to improve cancer outcomes such as treatment adherence, patient-provider relationships, obesity and physical activity. Her team was the first to develop and test decision support and lifestyle interventions for African-American and Latino women. Among her many distinguished accomplishments, she has served as the Associate Director for Community Outreach Engagement and Disparities Research at VCU Massey Cancer Center and has been recognized as a Disparities Scholar by the National Institutes of Health. She has also been a tireless advocate and leader in our department. We are grateful for all that she has accomplished during her tenure as HBP Department Chair. She will be greatly missed, but we are confident that the strong foundation she has helped build will allow the department to continue thriving in the future. Our team is very excited for her as she embarks on this new chapter in her career. Congratulations Dr. Sheppard!
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