AYA STAR (Scholarship, Training, and Research) Lab

Dr. Allicock’s research focuses on the elimination of cancer-related health disparities in minority populations. Her research emphasizes reducing risk factors (promoting healthy diets and physical activity) for cancer and chronic diseases in minority and underserved populations.

Dr. Betts’s research focuses on improving health care, health equity, and quality of life for adolescents and young adults with cancer (AYAs). She completed her post-doctoral training as a TL1 fellow in translational science at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center / UTHealth Houston, and a predoctoral fellowship in the NCI CPRIT Program at UTHealth.

Dr. Murphy is a cancer epidemiologist and has a well-established research program on pregnancy and cancer. She has made critical discoveries about multi-generational transmission of health risks, including the reproductive health of AYAs and pregnancy-related risk factors.

Guided by her practice experience as a pediatric oncology social worker and rigorous training in social and behavioral health, her research focuses on empowering patients and caregivers to make informed decisions aligned with their values, with a strong focus on adolescents and young adults.

Dr. Preston conducted pioneering work on the role of racial and ethnic concordance in cancer prevention and patient-centered care delivery and was committed to improving maternal and child health in communities of color. We are deeply indebted to our beloved colleague and friend, Dr. Sharice Preston (1984–2023).

Alex Tortolero is a PhD Candidate in Epidemiology and Predoctoral Fellow in the Cancer Control Research Training Program. His dissertation research focuses on the impact of neighborhood-level factors for persons with oral cavity cancer, including the impact on stage at diagnosis and survival.

Jenny Wang is a PhD Candidate in Epidemiology and Predoctoral Fellow in the Cancer Control Research Training Program. Her research interests include early-onset cancer, racial and ethnic disparities, neighborhood-level factors, and AYAs.

Dr. Booker is a recent graduate of UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. She has expertise in health disparities, implementation science, and social and molecular epidemiology. Her dissertation research focused on breast cancer survivorship care among underserved patient populations.