Black History in the Making: Vanessa B. Sheppard, Ph.D.
Dr. Vanessa B. Sheppard has built a career researching health disparities, focusing her efforts on groups who have been historically underrepresented in clinical research, including African American and Latinx populations. Her dedication and groundbreaking research led her to be named the American Cancer Society’s Researcher of the Year in 2022, and she currently serves as the Founding Interim Dean of VCU’s School of Population Health.
“Not only is [Sheppard] an innovative, community-based researcher who champions needed change in health care, she’s also a mentor inspiring the next generation of physicians and scientists,” says Robert A. Winn, M.D., director of VCU’s Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center. “Her work is at the core of Massey’s efforts to reimagine the role of cancer centers in communities.”
Sheppard’s ongoing American Cancer Society-funded clinical trial tests her “Sisters Informing Sisters” intervention, which seeks to improve communication between Black breast cancer patients and their healthcare providers. Newly diagnosed patients pair with survivors who have undergone similar treatments and together work through a guidebook and materials designed to facilitate engagement between patients and providers. Sheppard’s goal is to increase understanding and commitment to treatment regimens among this patient population, ultimately helping to reduce Black women’s breast cancer death rates.
“Studies show differences between how information is delivered from physicians to patients of color,” says Sheppard. “Physicians tend to give more information to their white patients, less to their Black patients. But when patients ask more questions and are ‘activated’ to share their values and preferences, they can make more informed decisions. Rather than intervening on the physician end, we want to focus on giving patients the practice and confidence to ask for the information they need.”
As the Dean of VCU’s new School of Population Health, launched on April 1, 2023, Sheppard hopes to continue advancing health in Virginia, focusing particularly on addressing existing health inequities.
“I have always thought VCU was the right place for a public health school,” says Sheppard. “Our mission, location, talent, and partnerships make us uniquely qualified to help address health equity challenges in Virginia.” Sheppard will leave a lasting legacy in the School of Population Health through her leadership and mentorship. Graduates from the school’s Ph.D. and M.P.H. programs will be prepared to enact change in public health through state and local agencies, nonprofits, and schools. “I try to give the best of what I have so that others have more to give to the next generation,” says Sheppard.
Sources:
An interview with Vanessa B. Sheppard, founding interim dean of the School of Population Health
VCU announces new School of Population Health by Danielle Pierce
VCU Massey Cancer Center’s Vanessa B. Sheppard, Ph.D., honored as American Cancer Society’s Researcher of the Year by Annie Harris
VCU health inequities researcher uses her hard-earned influence to support others by Annie Harris