The 2025 SoCOE Conference deemed ‘a tremendous success’
In May, the Science of Community Outreach and Engagement Alliance held its second annual conference in Oakland, California and was hosted by Kim Rhoads, M.D., M.S., MPH, of the University of California San Francisco, now at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center and Kimlin Ashing, Ph.D., of City of Hope. They did an outstanding job building from the inaugural conference hosted by Vanessa B. Sheppard, Ph.D., of Massey, and Folakemi Odedina, Ph.D., of the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center. The conference is funded by the NCI and is in collaboration with principal investigators from six centers who are founding members of the Alliance of COE. The focus of this year’s conference was on sharing best practices, increasing community capacity, and training future leaders.
Vanessa B. Sheppard, Ph.D., Nancy Valencia, M.S.P.H., community engagement and research coordinator, and community partner Antonio Villa, M.D., M.P.H., director and founder of La Casa de la Salud, participated in panel discussions and poster presentations throughout the event. Members of the VCU School of Public Health, VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center and dedicated cancer advocates and patients from Virginia joined as well.
Sheppard moderated a panel discussion titled “Diversifying the COE Funding Portfolio in Challenging Times: Funder Perspective” and co-led a breakout session on the Fundamentals of COE. Valencia-Rojas presented a poster titled “From Outreach to Recruitment: The Role of Community Engagement in Connecting Latina Women to Clinical Research,” highlighting the successful COE-driven recruitment approach implemented through the VCU-LCS partnership. Shepard serves as site PI of this multi-site NCI-funded RO1 from Georgetown University. The study is aimed at expanding access to genetic counseling and testing for Latina women at risk for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (HBOC) through culturally tailored outreach and education.
Villa joined a national panel on “The Impacts of Federal Changes on Community Partners,” where he shared the challenges community organizations like La Casa de la Salud face due to evolving federal policies. He also offered recommendations on how to strengthen partnerships, adapt to change, explore new opportunities, and ensure that community organizations can continue their essential work.
“This was an extraordinary space to elevate community voices, share our experiences, and learn from other COE leaders,” said Villa. “We are grateful for the opportunity to represent our community, bring back valuable insights to strengthen our outreach and research efforts, and expand our network by establishing new connections.”
Among the attendees were representatives from NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers across the country, including the University of California, San Francisco, the University of Kentucky, and the Mayo Clinics in Minnesota, Florida, and Arizona. The conference, in addition to providing valuable discussions on current issues impacting COE programs, offered specialized training opportunities for cancer advocates, who received certificates recognizing their dedication to advancing cancer equity.
“It has been amazing to see the response from researchers and community members for this conference,” Sheppard said. “Importantly, our vision for strong collaboration across cancer centers is providing opportunities for multi-site collaboration and sustainability of best practices. Funding from the NCI and support from our cancer centers led to this year’s success.”
Through this experience, the VCU School of Public Health, La Casa de la Salud, and Massey reaffirm their shared commitment to fostering inclusive research models, strengthening academic-community partnerships, and addressing persistent cancer disparities in our communities.
Nancy Valencia-Rojas, M.S.P.H., contributed to this article.
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