As an exemplar of this theme, we are highlighting the POWER project<\/a> (Academic PI Jessica LaRose), a community-engaged research project funded by the National Cancer Institute as part of the VA-ACCERT Center<\/a>. This women-led research effort partners with residents of income-based housing in Virginia to address social drivers of health and promote physical activity and nutrition quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The POWER team:<\/p>\n\n\n This month, the POWER team is launching Phase I of their efforts, conducting surveys, photovoice, focus groups, and environmental scans in order to help better understand resident experiences as well as the physical environments of income-based housing communities. Phase II will apply the findings of Phase I to develop a multilevel intervention aimed at mitigating cancer risk for income-based housing residents by promoting nutrition quality and physical activity. This program will include digital support and resources, community-based activities, as well as changes to the physical environment of housing communities that will have a lasting effect on access to nutritious foods and opportunities for safe physical activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Overall, our goal is to create a program that is helpful and sustainable\u2013becoming a free community resource and not just a research study. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n – POWER Project website<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Visit the POWER Project website<\/a> for more information and links to community resources.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The theme of this year’s Women’s History Month is \u201cLeading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future.\u201d This year, Women\u2019s History Month recognizes women who are leading the way toward lasting changes for global challenges, including those beyond environmental concerns. As an exemplar of this theme, we are highlighting the POWER project (Academic PI Jessica […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1899,"featured_media":218,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-212","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/212","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1899"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=212"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/212\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/218"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=212"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=212"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=212"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":211,"date":"2026-02-10T16:24:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T16:24:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/?p=211"},"modified":"2026-02-10T16:24:16","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T16:24:16","slug":"katherine-tossas-ph-d-m-s-named-to-national-academies-new-voices-program-for-emerging-leaders-2026-cohort","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/2026\/02\/10\/katherine-tossas-ph-d-m-s-named-to-national-academies-new-voices-program-for-emerging-leaders-2026-cohort\/","title":{"rendered":"Katherine Tossas, Ph.D., M.S., named to National Academies New Voices Program for Emerging Leaders 2026 Cohort"},"content":{"rendered":"\n Katherine Y. Tossas, Ph.D., M.S.<\/a>, director of Catchment Area Data Analytics (CADA) and associate co-director of global oncology at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, is one of 20 mid-career scientists, engineers and medical professionals selected to the 2026-28 cohort of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine\u2019s New Voices in Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am honored and humbled to be named to the cohort of New Voices from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine,\u201d Tossas said. \u201cI very much look forward to bringing the lived experiences of historically underserved communities, along with my perspective as a cancer epidemiologist, to collaborate across disciplines to co-create solutions that are both rigorous and responsive to the communities most impacted both nationally and globally.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDr. Tossas\u2019s selection to this prestigious program reflects both her scientific excellence and her fierce advocacy for at-risk communities, on a local and global scale. Her work exemplifies our mission\u2013connecting cutting-edge science with meaningful community impact and elevates VCU Massey to participate in the international dialogue of strategies to improve global challenges, particularly ensuring access to quality healthcare for all communities,\u201d said Robert Winn, M.D.<\/a>, director and Lipman Chair in Oncology at Massey. \u201cI congratulate Dr. Tossas on her selection to this prestigious program, and look forward to everything she will accomplish in this role.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n New Voices members are competitively selected through a merit-based, open competition. Each cohort serves a two-year term before transitioning to active alumni status. Cohort members meet virtually monthly and convene twice a year for in-person meetings. They are supported by National Academies staff, with guidance from an Advisory Committee of senior experts dedicated to the New Voices mission. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Tossas is the first member of Massey to be selected to the cohort, now in its fourth national class. As associate director of global oncology, she spearheads programs connecting with cancer researchers around the world. An assistant professor and Harrison Endowed Scholar in the VCU Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tossas champions external community outreach initiatives, focusing on strengthening external community relationships and expanding outreach and engagement programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In her role as director of CADA<\/a>, Tossas provides cancer-relevant, catchment-focused data to support Massey cancer research and Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) initiatives. CADA leverages external, publicly available datasets such as sociodemographic, cancer and other health behavior and services-related data from local, state and national sources to promote a better understanding of the catchment area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n New Voices aims to expand the expertise engaged in the work of the National Academies while developing a network of U.S. leaders to address national and global challenges. \u201cNow more than ever, we need to nurture the next generation of talented American researchers, who are the future leaders of the U.S. science and innovation enterprise,\u201d said Marica McNutt, president of the National Academy of Sciences. \u201cI am pleased to welcome the 2026 New Voices members and excited to see all that they will accomplish.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n The National Academies are private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, engineering and medicine. They operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Lincoln.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tossas joins a cohort of 20 scientists, engineers, and medical professionals who cover an array of industries, including from organizations like the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Dow, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, National Science Foundation, Boston University, University of California Berkeley, and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The new cohort will be supported by an advisory committee made up of senior experts; elected members of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and National Academy of Medicine; and program alumni who are dedicated to the New Voices mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With the addition of the new members, the New Voices network now has 80 members across four cohorts. Members of previous cohorts have served on over 40 National Academies committees and represented U.S. mid-career STEM voices in over 100 engagements at major international and domestic events as speakers, planning committee members, and attendees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n New Voices is funded in part by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the National Academy of Sciences Kobelt Fund, and the Shu and KC Chien Endowment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Visit the New Voices website<\/a> for more information about the members and the program. For more information about the National Academies, visit nationalacademies.org<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Written by: Bill Potter Katherine Y. Tossas, Ph.D., M.S., director of Catchment Area Data Analytics (CADA) and associate co-director of global oncology at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, is one of 20 mid-career scientists, engineers and medical professionals selected to the 2026-28 cohort of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine\u2019s New Voices in Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1899,"featured_media":14,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-211","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1899"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=211"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=211"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=211"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=211"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":207,"date":"2026-01-14T13:53:48","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T13:53:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/?p=207"},"modified":"2026-01-14T13:53:51","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T13:53:51","slug":"dr-chloe-jones-selected-for-vcu-iracda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/2026\/01\/14\/dr-chloe-jones-selected-for-vcu-iracda\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr. Chlo\u00e9 Jones selected for VCU IRACDA"},"content":{"rendered":"\n Chlo\u00e9 Jones, Ph.D., M.S. has been with the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences since 2024, when she began working as a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Jessica LaRose\u2019s OPT for Health<\/a> lab. During her time at VCU she has lent her skills to the WE trial<\/a> (MPIs LaRose, Mosavel), a grassroots, multilevel intervention for cardiometabolic health among Petersburg residents, and recently began working on the VA-ACCERT Center\u2019s flagship project, POWER (Academic PI LaRose, Community PI Plent): a multilevel intervention designed to target social drivers of health to improve nutrition quality and physical activity among residents of income-based housing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to her work on these projects, Dr. Jones has been continuing to develop her independent program of research promoting resistance exercise as a method for preventing and\/or mitigating cardiovascular disease among young Black women. She is currently conducting a qualitative study identifying factors that contribute to success for resistance exercise training in order to develop a mobile health app for this target population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last year, Dr. Jones worked diligently to submit multiple fellowship applications to support her work, and her efforts were rewarded as she was selected for two competitive awards: VCU\u2019s Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Award<\/a> (IRACDA) and the American Heart Association\u2019s (AHA) Postdoctoral Fellowship<\/a>. While the AHA fellowship is strictly focused on independent research development, IRACDA, funded by the National Institutes of Health, combines a traditional postdoctoral research experience with the development of teaching skills through formal pedagogic training and mentored placements at HBCUs (Historically Black College or Universities).<\/p>\n\n\n\n After some difficult deliberation, Dr. Jones chose to pursue the IRACDA rather than the AHA award in order to gain the training and hands-on experience in teaching that will advance her career path toward faculty positions. \u201cIt\u2019s been difficult to have to choose because of all the hard work and anticipation it takes to write grants,\u201d says Jones. What swayed her was the opportunity for complete pedagogical training. \u201cUltimately, the IRACDA provided training in how to build a class from the ground up – the foundations of structuring a class,\u201d she explains. \u201cIn addition to that training you also get the hands-on experience of independently running your own classroom – to see it from start to finish.\u201d She is most excited to build connections with students and to see firsthand (from the other side of the podium) the impact that effective teaching can have. Dr. Jones will be working with Virginia State University, the US\u2019s first state-funded four-year university for Black Americans. \u201cI\u2019m excited to work with VSU,\u201d says Jones, \u201cas an underrepresented woman who has been at mostly PWIs [predominantly white institutions].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The IRACDA will provide Dr. Jones with formal training and mentorship in teaching, while also allowing her to continue her development as an independent scholar under the mentorship of Dr. LaRose here at VCU. \u201cI look forward to the next couple of years on the training fellowship and how it can elevate me for future faculty positions. I enjoy being able to continue my personal path and research projects with [Dr. LaRose\u2019s] guidance.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Chlo\u00e9 Jones, Ph.D., M.S. has been with the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences since 2024, when she began working as a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Jessica LaRose\u2019s OPT for Health lab. During her time at VCU she has lent her skills to the WE trial (MPIs LaRose, Mosavel), a grassroots, multilevel intervention for cardiometabolic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1899,"featured_media":209,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-207","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-staff-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1899"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=207"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/209"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=207"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=207"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=207"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":205,"date":"2025-11-10T14:19:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-10T14:19:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/?p=205"},"modified":"2025-11-10T14:19:12","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T14:19:12","slug":"marcie-wright-ph-d-m-p-h-named-interim-associate-dean-for-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/2025\/11\/10\/marcie-wright-ph-d-m-p-h-named-interim-associate-dean-for-research\/","title":{"rendered":"Marcie Wright, Ph.D., M.P.H. named interim associate dean for research"},"content":{"rendered":"\n Marcie Wright, Ph.D., M.P.H.<\/a>, has been named interim associate dean for research at the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)\u00a0School of Public Health<\/a>, where she will provide strategic leadership to advance the School\u2019s growing research enterprise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wright, an associate professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, began her career at VCU in 2008. She has built an impressive record of scholarship, mentorship, and service, most recently serving as associate director of the Center on Health Advancement<\/a> in the VCU School of Medicine<\/a>. In 2024, she received the Outstanding Term Faculty Award<\/a> at VCU\u2019s Faculty Convocation, recognizing her excellence in teaching, research, and service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDr. Wright is a highly accomplished scholar and a respected leader with a strong record of advancing impactful, community-engaged research,\u201d said Monica Swahn, Ph.D., M.P.H.<\/a>, dean of the VCU School of Public Health. \u201cHer deep commitment to collaboration and innovation will continue to strengthen our research mission and expand our impact across disciplines.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As interim associate dean, Wright will provide vision and leadership to enhance the School\u2019s research mission, promoting a culture of inquiry, collaboration, and innovation. She will support faculty development, foster interdisciplinary partnerships, and guide initiatives that advance equity and improve health outcomes for communities locally and globally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Established in 2023, the VCU School of Public Health is committed to improving health, well-being, and longevity for all through education, discovery, and co-learning with communities. With over $10 million in grant expenditures across 71 grants and 172 active projects in FY2025, the School is advancing research that addresses health inequities and transforms public health practice across Virginia and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Carnegie-ranked R1 institution and one of the top 50 public research universities nationwide, Virginia Commonwealth University<\/a> reported more than $560 million in research expenditures last year. Energized by its urban setting in Richmond, VCU is a hub for innovation, pushing boundaries, fostering collaboration, and driving discoveries that make a real-world impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A national search for a permanent associate dean for research<\/a> is underway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read the full article here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Marcie Wright, Ph.D., M.P.H., has been named interim associate dean for research at the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)\u00a0School of Public Health, where she will provide strategic leadership to advance the School\u2019s growing research enterprise. Wright, an associate professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, began her career at VCU in 2008. She has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1899,"featured_media":206,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1899"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=205"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/206"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=205"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=205"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":202,"date":"2025-11-03T14:38:15","date_gmt":"2025-11-03T14:38:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/?p=202"},"modified":"2025-11-03T14:41:47","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T14:41:47","slug":"master-of-public-health-program-expands-again-with-concentration-in-health-communication","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/2025\/11\/03\/master-of-public-health-program-expands-again-with-concentration-in-health-communication\/","title":{"rendered":"Master of Public Health program expands again with concentration in health communication"},"content":{"rendered":"\n Here are details, including upcoming application deadlines, for VCU\u2019s fifth M.P.H. focus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n or the third time this year, Virginia Commonwealth University\u2019s School of Public Health<\/a> is expanding its Master of Public Health program \u2013 this time, with a degree concentration in health communication<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Already in 2025, the school introduced a concentration in health policy<\/a>, and it announced \u2013 starting in the spring 2026 semester \u2013 a fully online version<\/a> of its M.P.H. program that can provide greater flexibility for students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The new concentration also will debut in the upcoming spring semester. It will prepare practitioners to effectively communicate, to various audiences, core public health knowledge and to express the design, results and interpretation of public health interventions, evaluations and data collection and analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The health communication emphasis marks the fifth concentration in the M.P.H. program<\/a>, with the others focusing on applied public health; cancer prevention and control science; epidemiology; and health policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAt VCU, our M.P.H. program and this health communication concentration prepare the next generation of professionals to lead, combining communication strategy, behavioral science and public health practice to create lasting impact,\u201d said Sunny Jung Kim<\/a>, Ph.D, associate professor of social and behavioral sciences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are details about the latest concentration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The degree<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The M.P.H. with a concentration in health communication is a 45-credit, two-year program for full-time students, or three to five years for part-time students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Among the courses<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Concentration courses include Practical Communication Strategies for Public Health; Media, Health and Policy; and Health Communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Admission requirements<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n They include a 3.0 GPA, official transcripts, an earned bachelor\u2019s degree, a CV or r\u00e9sum\u00e9, two letters of recommendation and a personal statement. No GRE or WES verification is required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Application deadlines<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Applications for the debut spring 2026 semester are open now on SOPHAS.org<\/a> until Nov. 7. (For the fall 2026 cohort, the application deadline is March 1.) VCU also requires a supplemental application following submission of the SOPHAS application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n View full article here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Here are details, including upcoming application deadlines, for VCU\u2019s fifth M.P.H. focus. or the third time this year, Virginia Commonwealth University\u2019s School of Public Health is expanding its Master of Public Health program \u2013 this time, with a degree concentration in health communication. Already in 2025, the school introduced a concentration in health policy, and it announced \u2013 starting […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1899,"featured_media":204,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-202","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-department-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1899"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=202"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/204"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=202"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=202"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=202"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":196,"date":"2025-10-22T13:03:22","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T13:03:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/?p=196"},"modified":"2025-10-22T13:03:23","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T13:03:23","slug":"open-access-week-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/2025\/10\/22\/open-access-week-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Access Week 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n International Open Access Week is observed annually in order to highlight the benefits of free and immediate access to scholarly research worldwide. Open access allows research scholarship to have wide-reaching effects, and grants colleagues the ability to freely share and use research. This year’s theme is “Who Owns Our Knowledge?” – an opportunity to consider who can access and utilize research and also how it is shared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Below is a roundup of some of our open access publications from this year:<\/p>\n\n\n\n October 2025<\/strong> Contextual Factors Affecting Implementation of Medicaid Billing for Community-based Pharmacist Services in Virginia: A Qualitative Study<\/strong><\/a> Disparities in Dental Visits Among Participants of the Virginia Living Well Registry<\/strong><\/a> Potential Protective Effect of Statins Against High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions (HSIL) in Women with Metabolic Comorbidities<\/strong><\/a> Examining sociodemographic and health-related characteristics as moderators of an mHealth intervention on physical activity outcomes in young adult cancer survivors<\/a><\/strong> “This study explored whether sociodemographic and health-related characteristics moderated mHealth PA intervention effects on total and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) at 6 months, relative to a self-help condition among young adult cancer survivors (YACS).”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “If I Start [Primary Prevention] Now, I Can Prevent [Cancer]”: College Students Endorse Cancer Prevention Education<\/a><\/strong> “Early onset colorectal cancer has been linked to lifestyle-related risk factors. Emerging adulthood (ages 18-25) has the greatest changes to lifestyle health behaviors with implications for health outcomes. College students have moderate consideration of future cancer risk (CFC-CA) when navigating current health behavior choices. This study explored cancer prevention knowledge, attitudes and behavioral intentions in a subset of students with low, medium and high CFC-CA.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n September 2025<\/strong> “Chronic stress is thought to contribute to racial disparities in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality among women. Intervention development has been stalled by complex issues regarding stress measurement as well as the correlation of varying stress experiences with proximal cardiac responses in naturalistic environments. The Designing Young Adult Interventions to Address and Mitigate Inequities in Cardiovascular Health (DYNAMIC) Study is an observational study of the stress experiences of young Black women reported\u00a0in vivo<\/em><\/em>\u00a0and within naturalistic context.\u00a0“<\/p>\n\n\n\n July 2025<\/strong> “Health problems associated with post-acute COVID-19, also known as \u201cLong COVID,\u201d range from mild to severe. The best defense against this potentially serious condition is to prevent COVID-19 infection and reinfection. The same preventive measures for COVID-19 may be used to help prevent the spread of Long COVID. This study used the Health Belief Model (HBM) to examine whether and how public understanding and awareness of Long COVID and its prevention shape the adoption of COVID-19 preventive behaviors.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n An Exploratory Retrospective Analysis of Racial Disparities in Fall-Related Injuries Among Black and White Breast Cancer Survivors Receiving Chemotherapy<\/a><\/strong> “This exploratory retrospective analysis examined racial disparities in fall-related injuries among Black and White breast cancer survivors who received chemotherapy, focusing on the risks associated with specific chemotherapy regimens.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n June 2025<\/strong> “Racial disparities exist regarding cardiovascular (CV) toxicities following breast cancer treatment; however, studies on racial differences in cardiac arrhythmias are lacking. This study examined associations between demographic and clinical factors and arrhythmia diagnosis in Black and White breast cancer survivors.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n May 2025<\/strong> “World Health Organization defines substance use as harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs. There is an increased rate of substance use among youths and adolescents. Substance use significantly increases the risk for mental disorders. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of substance use and knowledge of its effects among secondary school students in Lagos, Nigeria.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n The GINA Gap – Implications for Access to Personalized Medicine among Native Americans “Recent advances in genomic science have facilitated the implementation of personalized medicine, with promises of more effective treatments and better outcomes for various conditions….But not all populations in the United States have had an equal opportunity to benefit from personalized medicine. One important limitation has been that Native Americans who receive care from the Indian Health Service (IHS) aren\u2019t covered by the federal law that bans discrimination based on genetic makeup.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tobacco Susceptibility and Use Among Rural Adolescents: The Role of Tobacco Marketing Exposure and Screen Media Use<\/a><\/strong> “Tobacco marketing has been found to increase pro-tobacco attitudes and susceptibilities; yet its impact on rural adolescents lacks research. We aim to examine the association between tobacco marketing exposure, screen use, and susceptibility and use of tobacco among a rural youth sample.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n April 2025<\/strong> “In the United States (U.S.), it is estimated that 17.6\u00a0% of adults have experienced\u00a0Long COVID<\/a>, a condition where symptoms newly develop and linger after initial COVID-19 infection. Long COVID is associated with significantly reduced\u00a0quality of life<\/a>\u00a0(QoL), and patient-provider relationships have been shown to influence QoL for patients in general. The objective for this study was to better understand the role of patient-provider relationships in shaping QoL among U.S. adults with Long COVID.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n March 2025<\/strong> “People of African ancestry are overrepresented among lives lost prematurely and persons unnecessarily afflicted with the highest burden of cancer among nonindigenous Americans. Amid the growing advancements in cancer discoveries and innovations, the persistence of cancer disparities affecting Black\/African American populations is particularly disturbing and disappointing. Ashing and colleagues in the Alliance of Black Community Outreach and Engagement Scientific Directors of National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers discuss the excessive cancer burden in Black populations and propose a Cancer Moonshot-focused framework.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lived experiences and unmet needs of prostate and colorectal male cancer survivors in rural Virginia: A qualitative study<\/a><\/strong> “The goal of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding about the lived experiences and unmet needs of rural male cancer survivors. Focus groups were conducted with male survivors of prostate (N = 14) and colorectal cancers (N = 10), from rural Virginia. Demographic and clinical information were collected via surveys. A focus group guide contained questions about needs, lifestyles, and social networks of rural male cancer survivors.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Associations between parent and adolescent weight outcomes within two parent approaches to family-based adolescent obesity treatment: Secondary analyses from the TEENS+ pilot trial<\/a><\/strong> The goal of this study was “to examine associations between parent and adolescent weight change within two parent approaches to adolescent obesity treatment.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n February 2025<\/strong> “Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is the cornerstone treatment strategy for men diagnosed with high-risk prostate cancer (PC) but may increase risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). We examined whether men treated with ADT and radiation therapy (ADT + RT) developed MACE at a higher rate than men receiving RT alone. Secondly, we sought to determine if Black men receiving RT + ADT developed MACE at a higher rate than White men.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Economic costs of family caregiving for persons with advanced stage cancer: a longitudinal cohort study<\/a><\/strong> “A multi-site cohort study collected prospective longitudinal data from caregivers of patients with advanced solid tumor cancers. Caregiver survey and out-of-pocket (OOP) receipt data were collected biweekly in-person for up to 24 weeks. Economic cost measures attributed to caregiving were as follows: amount of OOP costs, debt accrual, perceived economic situation, and working for pay.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n January 2025<\/strong> “Eight databases were searched from 2017 to 2022 using the Population Intervention Control Outcome Study (PICOS) framework. We synthesized findings of AIMC-based interventions for adult populations in cancer prevention\/control or substance use, applying SIGN Methodology Checklist 2 for quality assessments and reviewing retention and engagement.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Emerging Adults’ Consideration of their Future General and Colorectal-Specific Cancer Risk<\/a><\/strong> “Colorectal cancer (CRC) has a lengthy cellular mutation period and early onset (EOCRC) is linked to lifestyle-related factors. Primary prevention approaches earlier in the life course are needed.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cancer Caregiver Anxiety Over Time: The Influence of Palliative Care<\/a><\/strong> The objective of this study was “to explore anxiety experienced by caregivers providing home-based, end-of-life care to patients with cancer. We examined the relationship between caregiver anxiety and receipt of palliative care by the patient.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" International Open Access Week is observed annually in order to highlight the benefits of free and immediate access to scholarly research worldwide. Open access allows research scholarship to have wide-reaching effects, and grants colleagues the ability to freely share and use research. This year’s theme is “Who Owns Our Knowledge?” – an opportunity to consider […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1899,"featured_media":197,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,5,2,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni-news","category-department-news","category-faculty-news","category-student-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1899"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=196"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/197"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":193,"date":"2025-10-21T14:58:51","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T14:58:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/?p=193"},"modified":"2025-10-29T12:28:56","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T12:28:56","slug":"alumna-michelle-laws-phd-named-2025-10-under-10-awardee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/2025\/10\/21\/alumna-michelle-laws-phd-named-2025-10-under-10-awardee\/","title":{"rendered":"Alumna Michelle Laws, PhD named 2025 10 Under 10 Awardee!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n VCU Alumni\u2019s 10 Under 10 awards recognizes the noteworthy and distinctive achievements made by alumni who earned their first VCU degree (undergraduate, graduate or professional) within the past 10 years. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Michelle Laws, PhD, who earned her PhD in Social and Behavioral Sciences in 2016, has been selected by VCU’s Office of Alumni Relations as one of 2025’s 10 Under 10 alumni. She is currently an adjunct professor at North Carolina Central University and CEO and principal consultant of Symbiotic Strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A native of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Dr. Laws is a dynamic teacher, scholar and public speaker who is best known for her advocacy for social justice, human rights, persons with mental illness, and poor women and children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Laws leads Symbiotic Strategies, a public relations firm that works to improve relationships between the health care industry and historically marginalized populations. Besides her adjunct role at North Carolina Central University, she has also served as an adjunct professor at VCU and North Carolina State University and has taught classes in federal and state prisons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her distinguished professional career includes serving at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services as the assistant director of consumer support services and community engagement and as the diversity, equity and inclusion chair. She was secretary of the department\u2019s COVID response team, where she developed and implemented policies and directed funding to increase testing and vaccinations in North Carolina\u2019s historically marginalized populations, and was the chief experience officer for the North Carolina Medical Society. In 2018, she became the first Black woman to run for a congressional seat in North Carolina\u2019s 4th District on the Democratic ticket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Inspired by the courageous women who came before her, she is a servant-leader. \u201cAwards and recognition are nice, but being able to serve in positions that have allowed me to be a voice and advocate for those who have been devalued, discarded and disregarded are much grander aspirations,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She holds a Ph.D. in social and behavioral sciences from VCU. She graduated magna cum laude with a Master of Arts degree from North Carolina Central University and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read the full article and discover this year’s other awardees here: https:\/\/www.vcualumni.org\/events\/10-under-10\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" VCU Alumni\u2019s 10 Under 10 awards recognizes the noteworthy and distinctive achievements made by alumni who earned their first VCU degree (undergraduate, graduate or professional) within the past 10 years. Michelle Laws, PhD, who earned her PhD in Social and Behavioral Sciences in 2016, has been selected by VCU’s Office of Alumni Relations as one […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1899,"featured_media":194,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-193","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/193","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1899"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=193"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/193\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/194"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=193"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=193"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=193"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":189,"date":"2025-09-17T19:27:20","date_gmt":"2025-09-17T19:27:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/?p=189"},"modified":"2025-09-17T19:27:21","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T19:27:21","slug":"postdoc-spotlight-drs-casanave-phillips-and-jones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/2025\/09\/17\/postdoc-spotlight-drs-casanave-phillips-and-jones\/","title":{"rendered":"Postdoc Spotlight: Drs. Casanave-Phillips and Jones"},"content":{"rendered":"\n During this year’s National Postdoc Appreciation Week (Sept 15-19) we’re recognizing Karly Casanave-Phillips, Ph.D., M.A., and Chlo\u00e9 Jones, Ph.D., M.S., postdoctoral fellows and mentees of Jessica G. LaRose, Ph.D.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n Karly Casanave-Phillips, Ph.D., M.A. is a postdoctoral fellow in the Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center Cancer Prevention and Control (CPC) <\/ins>T32<\/a>. She earned her Ph.D. in Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology from West Virginia University in 2023, and previously earned a Master\u2019s in Clinical Counseling. Her formal training and experience in community-engaged research coupled with her counseling education give her a unique approach to her work in the T32 program and the OPT for Health<\/a> lab with Dr. Jessica LaRose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Casanave-Phillips\u2019 CPC training goals focus on examining the links between social drivers of health, quality of life, and behavior change in cancer survivorship. In the past year, she has worked primarily on the AYA WELL study, a multi-site randomized controlled trial testing an mHealth weight management intervention for adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors, co-led by MPIs Dr. Jessica LaRose and Dr. Carmina Valle of UNC Chapel Hill. Dr. Casanave-Phillips has contributed to the project by adapting intervention content to address the psychosocial needs of AYA survivors and co-facilitating the Community Advisory Board with Dr. LaRose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Casanave-Phillips is also working to develop an independent program of research in the area of AYA survivorship, exploring the potential for physical activity to serve as a non-pharmacological pain management strategy for this population. She has received IRB approval for a 12-month longitudinal study of 40 AYA survivors, monitoring the reciprocal relationship between pain, mood, and physical activity in daily life in order to inform future interventions. Her work has been recognized by the Society of Behavioral Medicine with a citation award in 2024, and she recently submitted a postdoctoral fellowship application to the American Cancer Society to continue her outstanding research!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chlo\u00e9 Jones, Ph.D., M.S. is in her second year as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, working with Dr. Jessica LaRose in the OPT for Health<\/a> lab. Dr. Jones earned her Ph.D. in kinesiology from Auburn University in 2023, and also holds an M.S. in exercise physiology. She earned a TL1 fellowship for her dissertation work developing a resistance exercise intervention for young Black women, and she continues to focus her research efforts on promoting cardiometabolic health in this population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Jones\u2019 training goals focus on gaining additional experience in mHealth and community-engaged research, as well as generating novel approaches to data dissemination. Dr. Jones has worked primarily on the WE trial during her time at VCU, but will be transitioning this year to the VA-ACCERT Center\u2019s flagship project (MPIs Arcan, LaRose, Plent): a multilevel intervention designed to target social drivers of health to improve nutrition quality and physical activity among residents of income-based housing. Dr. Jones will contribute to the adaptation of physical activity content for the individual-level mHealth intervention in addition to collaborating with residents and other stakeholders to develop sustainable built environment installations to support physical activity at the community level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Jones\u2019 current independent research follows up her dissertation pilot study: she is conducting a qualitative study among young Black women with varying levels of experience with resistance exercise to identify factors that contributed to differential success with supervised v. unsupervised resistance exercise. Her goal is to use this qualitative data to design an mHealth intervention to assist participants during that transition and improve success. This March, she was awarded a Community-Engaged Data Dissemination Grant from VCU\u2019s Division of Community Engagement to utilize non-traditional methods of data dissemination to share the outcomes of the WE trial. In addition, she recently submitted a postdoctoral fellowship application to the American Heart Association to continue her outstanding research!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" During this year’s National Postdoc Appreciation Week (Sept 15-19) we’re recognizing Karly Casanave-Phillips, Ph.D., M.A., and Chlo\u00e9 Jones, Ph.D., M.S., postdoctoral fellows and mentees of Jessica G. LaRose, Ph.D. Karly Casanave-Phillips, Ph.D., M.A. is a postdoctoral fellow in the Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center Cancer Prevention and Control (CPC) T32. She earned her Ph.D. in Sport, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1899,"featured_media":190,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-staff-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1899"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=189"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":187,"date":"2025-09-02T14:57:49","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T14:57:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/?p=187"},"modified":"2025-09-02T14:58:14","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T14:58:14","slug":"sonya-hung-ph-d-retires","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/2025\/09\/02\/sonya-hung-ph-d-retires\/","title":{"rendered":"Sonya Hung, Ph.D. retires"},"content":{"rendered":"\n Dr. Hsinling Sonya\u00a0Hung is retiring as of August 31, 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Hung joined VCU in 2016 as assistant professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences (then the Department of Health Behavior & Policy). During her time at VCU, she has collaborated as evaluator and co-investigator on a myriad of health promotion projects, including RVA Breathes and Hydrate RPS. She also served as the as Director of Evaluation and Assessment for the Center on Health Advancement<\/a> in the School of Medicine, and she was lead program evaluator for numerous\u00a0training programs for pre- and post- doctoral scholars, including the Massey CPC T32\u00a0for many years. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dr. Hsinling Sonya\u00a0Hung is retiring as of August 31, 2025. Dr. Hung joined VCU in 2016 as assistant professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences (then the Department of Health Behavior & Policy). During her time at VCU, she has collaborated as evaluator and co-investigator on a myriad of health promotion projects, including […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1899,"featured_media":188,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/187","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1899"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=187"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/187\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/188"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":186,"date":"2025-08-13T15:54:49","date_gmt":"2025-08-13T15:54:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/?p=186"},"modified":"2025-08-13T15:55:37","modified_gmt":"2025-08-13T15:55:37","slug":"jessica-g-larose-ph-d-appointed-chair-of-the-department-of-social-and-behavioral-sciences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/2025\/08\/13\/jessica-g-larose-ph-d-appointed-chair-of-the-department-of-social-and-behavioral-sciences\/","title":{"rendered":"Jessica G. LaRose, Ph.D., appointed chair of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences\u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n LaRose has served as interim chair since November 2022, prior to the School\u2019s founding.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n by Maggie Christ<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jessica G. LaRose, Ph.D., F.S.B.M.<\/a>, has been named chair of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences<\/a> as of August 1, 2025. She took on the role in an interim capacity, first as the Department of Health Behavior and Policy was preparing to join the VCU School of Public Health<\/a> (SOPH) in 2023, then, when it split into the Departments of Health Policy and Social and Behavior Sciences (SBS) in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n LaRose was recruited to VCU from Brown University in 2012 as an assistant professor in the VCU School of Medicine<\/a> (SOM). She was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 2016 and then to full professor in 2023. In that time as a leader, scholar, and educator, LaRose has advanced the department and played a pivotal role in shaping the School of Public Health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As interim chair, LaRose led the creation of faculty bylaws and promotion and tenure guidelines, and actively engaged faculty to revise the department mission and create a vision and guiding values, positioning the department to thrive. To invest in department culture, she formed a social and service committee, created a department service award, hosted student listening sessions, held weekly office hours, and established an annual faculty retreat. LaRose also worked to strengthen the department\u2019s research enterprise through bonus incentives and strong support for early career faculty during the transition from SOM to SOPH. These efforts yielded fruit \u2013 in two and half years, SBS has received 11 new extramural grant awards and all early career faculty have received new grants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A committed educator and mentor, LaRose prioritized the education mission and student success during her interim term. She funded dissertation grants and annual student excellence awards, worked collaboratively to strengthen Ph.D. student learning outcomes and quantitative methods requirements, required CIMER mentorship training of all faculty, and supported the creation of a new M.P.H. concentration in health communication. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDr. LaRose has done an incredible job leading her team through more than two years of transformation and growth,\u201d said Monica Swahn, Ph.D.,<\/a> dean of the VCU School of Public Health. \u201cShe has proven she can lead with empathy and grace, while pushing herself and her team to succeed in teaching, service, and research.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n LaRose is an internationally recognized behavioral trialist whose program of research focuses on the design and implementation of interventions to promote physical and psychological health across the lifecourse. Authentic community engagement and partnership with the populations she aims to serve are core tenets of her work. She has had continuous funding for her research since 2007 \u2013 currently, she serves as PI or MPI on 3 R01s and she is a co-PI on the $9 million grant to establish a Cancer Control Engagement Research Center in Virginia<\/a>, announced last year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Her contributions to the field have been recognized through several awards, including being inducted as a Fellow of the Society of Behavioral Medicine in 2023 and the David Wheeler Award for Translational Team Science from the VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center<\/a> in 2025. She also serves as a standing member of the NIH Lifestyle Change and Behavioral Health<\/a> (LCBH) study section. Notably, LaRose is also deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of scholars and practitioners. She currently mentors four graduate students, three postdoctoral fellows, and nine early career faculty members, and has received several awards in recognition of the quality and impact of her mentorship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m honored to step into the role of Chair of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences,\u201d said LaRose. \u201cI\u2019m elated to continue the work we\u2019ve started. I remain committed to giving the people of SBS my very best as we work to fulfill our collective vision for transformational impact in service of community health and well-being.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Two](\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1112\/2026\/03\/POWER-1.png\")
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Full article at Massey<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A Pilot Study: Adaptation Phase of the PROMIS Women Education Program\u2014Promoting Cervical Cancer Prevention Methods Among Muslim Women in Virginia<\/a><\/strong>
SBS Researchers: Asmaa Namoos, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H. (alum), Vanessa B Sheppard, Ph.D.
Journal: Cancer Medicine<\/em>
“Despite advancements in healthcare, disparities in cervical cancer diagnosis and treatment among minority populations in the U.S. remain a pressing concern…. Despite the availability of services from providers…there remain gaps in care, particularly for socially conservative groups like Muslim women, who often lack access to culturally sensitive care. While there have been numerous initiatives tailored to Muslim communities in the U.S. for breast cancer screening, similar efforts are noticeably absent in cervical cancer prevention.”
Physical and Psychological Burdens Among Breast Cancer Survivors: Evaluating Post-Treatment Gait Impairment, Falls, and Depression Using Real-World Data<\/strong><\/a>
SBS Researchers: Asmaa Namoos, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H. (alum), Vanessa B Sheppard, Ph.D.
Journal: European Journal of Cancer Care<\/em>
“Breast cancer survivors face a dual burden of physical and psychological challenges, which may persist long after treatment. This study aims to evaluate the physical impairments and psychological outcomes among breast cancer survivors compared to individuals without breast cancer.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SBS Researchers: Sadia Shah, M.P.H., M.B.B.S., Maria Thomson, Ph.D.
Journal: Journal of the American Pharmacists Association<\/em>
“In 2023, Virginia mandated Medicaid payment for services provided by pharmacists under statewide protocols. Despite this legislative action, pharmacist registration as Medicaid providers remains limited, delaying access to expanded patient care services.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SBS Researchers: April Williams, Ph.D. (alum), Maria Thomson, Ph.D., Vanessa B Sheppard, Ph.D.
Journal: Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology<\/em>
“Good oral health is integral to maintaining overall health. Yet little is known about the breadth of factors that affect dental visits. The objective of this study was to test for associations between reported dental visits and factors that may be related to dental visits: predisposing (demographics, educational attainment, marital status, employment and smoking status); enabling (income, insurance status, rurality, primary care and dental healthcare provider shortage areas (D-HPSA)) and need (overall health status and emotional wellbeing).”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SBS Researchers: Katherine Tossas, Ph.D.
Journal: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention<\/em>
“While HPV vaccination and Pap screening have advanced cervical cancer (CCa) prevention, high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) remain common, particularly among individuals with metabolic comorbidities like diabetes and hypercholesterolemia. Statins, commonly used for lipid control, possess anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative properties that may offer protective effects against cervical dysplasia. We explored the association between statin use and lesion grade in a population of dysplasia patients, and whether effects vary by comorbidity and race.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SBS Researchers: Jessica G LaRose, Ph.D.
Journal: Journal of Cancer Survivorship<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
SBS Researchers: Jacqueline Knight Wilt, Ph.D. (alum), Maria Thomson, Ph.D.
Journal: Journal of Cancer Education<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
Rationale and protocol for an observational study of in vivo stress experiences and real-time cardiovascular responses among young, black women: The DYNAMIC study<\/strong><\/a>
SBS Researchers: Jessica G LaRose, Ph.D.
Journal: PLOS One<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
Staying Safe for the Long Haul: A Health Belief Model Analysis of COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors Through the Lens of Long COVID<\/strong><\/a>
SBS Researchers: Jeanine Guidry, Ph.D. (alum), Kellie Carlyle, Ph.D.
Journal: Clinical Nursing Research<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
SBS Researchers: Asmaa Namoos, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H. (alum), Vanessa B Sheppard, Ph.D.
Journal: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
Examining factors associated with experiencing cardiac arrhythmias in Black and White breast cancer survivors who received anthracyclines or trastuzumab<\/a><\/strong>
SBS Researchers: Katherine Tossas, Ph.D., Vanessa B Sheppard, Ph.D.
Journal: Breast Cancer Research and Treatment<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
Prevalence of substance use and knowledge of its effects among secondary school students in Lagos, Nigeria<\/a><\/strong>
SBS Researchers: Tolulope Kolawole, Alexander Lucas, Ph.D.
Journal: South African Journal of Psychiatry<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/strong>SBS Researchers: Katherine Tossas, Ph.D., Maria Thomson, Ph.D.
Journal: New England Journal of Medicine<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
SBS Researchers: Sunny Jung Kim, Ph.D.
Journal: Nicotine & Tobacco Research<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
Patient-provider relationships and long COVID: A cross-sectional survey about impact on quality of life<\/a><\/strong>
SBS Researchers: Jeanine Guidry, Ph.D. (alum), Kellie Carlyle, Ph.D.
Journal: Disability and Health Journal<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
Remedying Black cancer disparities with clinical research prioritization<\/a><\/strong>
SBS Researchers: Vanessa B Sheppard, Ph.D.
Journal: Cancer<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
SBS Researchers: Fariha Tariq, M.P.H., M.B.B.S., Alexander Lucas, Ph.D., Vanessa B Sheppard, Ph.D.
Journal: Journal of Rural Health<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
SBS Researchers: Kristina Tatum, Ph.D., Jessica G LaRose, Ph.D.
Journal: Pediatric Obesity<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
Major adverse cardiovascular events among Black and White Veterans receiving androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer: a retrospective cohort study<\/a><\/strong>
SBS Researchers: Alexander Lucas, Ph.D., Vanessa B Sheppard, Ph.D.
Journal: Cardiooncology<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
SBS Researchers: Maria Thomson, Ph.D.
Journal: Journal of Cancer Survivorship<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
Leveraging artificial intelligence-mediated communication for cancer prevention and control and drug addiction: A systematic review<\/a><\/strong>
SBS Researchers: Sunny Jung Kim, Ph.D., Viktor Clark, Ph.D. (alum), Vanessa B Sheppard, Ph.D.
Journal: Translational Behavioral Medicine<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
SBS Researchers: Jackie Knight Wilt, Ph.D., Maria Thomson, Ph.D.
Journal: Cancer Control<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
SBS Researchers: Maria Thomson, Ph.D.
Journal: Journal of Palliative Care<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/sbs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1112\/2025\/10\/Laws-10-under-10.jpg\")
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Dr. Hung was a fixture in the SBS doctoral education program, teaching the program evaluation course and serving on numerous committees, including comprehensive exam writing and grading committees.\u00a0\u00a0She continuously showed great dedication to the department and a collaborative spirit, and she will be greatly missed. We wish her all the best for her retirement!<\/p>\n\n\n\n