Our Team
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Moon S. Chen, Jr., Ph.D., M.P.H. Moon Chen joined UC Davis the day the cancer center was designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in 2005. His role was to assure that the cancer center was addressing the cancer burden among the populations and communities it serves. Dr. Chen has a long history of leading NCI and NIH and other national programs focused on mitigating cancer health disparities in various racial/ethnic populations. He was the principal investigator of the National Center for Reducing Asian American Cancer Health Disparities and helps lead the NCI-funded Minority Patient-Derived Xenograft Trial and Development Center. He also leads a project to promote HPV vaccination among rural and Native American adolescents. Dr. Chen has been honored by the American Cancer Society, American Society of Clinical Oncology, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NCI and the University of Minnesota. He is a professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the UC Davis School of Medicine. |
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Julie T. Dang, Ph.D., M.P.H Dr. Dang is a cancer health disparities behavioral scientist with 10 years of experience engaging diverse and underserved communities in cancer control and prevention interventions. Her research studies and programs have focused on accelerating HPV vaccine uptake among adolescents (all populations including rural youth), increasing Asian American participation in biospecimen donation for cancer research, enhancing minority recruitment into cancer clinical trials, increasing hepatitis B testing among Asian American communities, improving colorectal cancer screening rates among the underserved (Native American, rural and Hispanic communities), increasing mammography rates among Native American women and increasing lung cancer screening awareness in African American communities. She has experience working in diverse settings including rural clinics, tribal clinics, federally qualified health centers, primary care networks and in training health care workers on enhancing cancer outcomes for ethnically diverse patient populations. |
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Laura Fejerman, M.Sc., Ph. D. Dr. Fejerman is an Associate Professor in the Division of Epidemiology. Her research projects are focused on breast cancer, genetic epidemiology, genetics of complex traits, racial/ethnic differences in disease susceptibility, and breast cancer in Latinas and African Americans. She is an epidemiologist who received her Licentiate in Social Anthropology at University of Buenos Aires, MSc in Human Biology at University of Oxford, and PhD in Biological Anthropology at University of Oxford, and received a Certificate in Clinical Research from UCSF. She has taken on other scientific and research roles with the National Cancer Institute, Florida-California Cancer Research, Education and Engagement (CaRE2) Healthy Equity Center, and the Latino Cancer Institute. Dr. Fejerman also provides extensive service nationally to professional organizations in cancer, healthy equity, genetics, and science in general. |
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Stephanie Winn Stephanie Winn is a Senior Public Information Officer with UC Davis Health, supporting the external communication needs of UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center and the School of Medicine’s Department of Radiology. She serves as editor of the Cancer Center’s magazine Synthesis, is co-host of the podcast Beat Cancer and serves as a liaison with print, radio and TV media as well as oncology journalists. Previously, Winn was the Western Regional Media Advocacy Director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network where she led a team that helped advance cancer-fighting policies at the local, state and federal level through media and community outreach. Prior to joining the policy affiliate for the American Cancer Society, Winn spent many years as a public relations director in the energy industry. The loss of her father to esophageal cancer helped motivate her in 2014 to shift her focus to working on cancer issues. Winn’s career began in TV journalism as an anchor and reporter, with a special interest in medical news. She is a past recipient of the Texas Medical Association’s Anson Jones Award for outstanding health reporting. |
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David Tom Cooke, M.D., F.A.C.S. Dr. David Tom Cooke is an Associate Professor at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine. He is the Section Head of General Thoracic Surgery, the Program Director of the UC Davis Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency, Associate Director of Cardiothoracic Robotic Surgery, and the Vice Chair for Faculty Development and Wellness for the Department of Surgery. Dr. Cooke specializes in the surgical treatment of malignant and benign lung and esophageal disease and is a national leader in robotic thoracic surgery. Dr. Cooke's research includes oncologic trials, surgical outcomes/health services research, patient-centered outcomes research, surgical education, medical social media and public medical communication. He has authored over 70 scholarly publications and textbook chapters and co-authored a book. Dr. Cooke is recognized by Castle and Connolly and Sacramento Magazine as one of America's Top Doctors. |
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Elisa Tong, M.D., M.A. Elisa Tong is a general internist who takes care of patients in the clinic and hospital settings. Her area of interest is in tobacco cessation and its cross-cutting impact on health and wellness for smokers and their families. Dr. Tong's research interests are in tobacco control policy and cessation, with special interests in secondhand smoke, diverse and underserved populations (particularly Asians), and health systems change. |
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Alexandra Gori, B.S. Alex develops, implements, and evaluates a variety of cancer control and prevention initiatives aimed at mitigating the cancer burden of culturally diverse and underserved populations. She engages communities to promote cancer prevention, risk reduction and screening opportunities, and serves as a liaison between the community and the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center. She develops and disseminates cancer information and recruits and enrolls participants into research programs and studies along with collecting and analyzing data. Alex holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition Science with a minor in Public Health from the University of California, Davis. She is very passionate about the field of cancer research and has helped lead, Colleges Against Cancer, which plans the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life event at UC Davis and was awarded the 2019 Chancellor’s Civic Engagement Award. Her personal interests include traveling, teaching indoor cycling classes, and spending time with family, friends, and her dog, Khloe. |
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Marrisa Santos-Buford, B.S. Marrisa is an experienced health educator who has served ethnically diverse communities by implementing educational and health promotion activities as well as facilitated community outreach and engagement events for Contra Costa County Health Services programs. Marrisa earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health from California State University Northridge. Her passion is to address and reduce health disparities for underserved communities of color. In her spare time she enjoys being outdoors, hiking, traveling, going to concerts, and spending quality time with family, friends, and her dogs. |
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Angelica Perez Angelica Perez is native of Central Valley, attended California State University Fresno and received her Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics and Food Administration. She brings experience in education and community outreach and engagement. This includes five years with the UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program providing healthy eating and physical activity support and resources to schools, Head Start sites and community agencies. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking up new recipes, going to concerts and dancing. |
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Neha Singh, B.S. Neha assists in the coordination, recruitment, and retention of participants (e.g., patients and community members) into interventional treatment, interventional non-treatment, and non-interventional cancer clinical trials. She also serves as the Office of Community Outreach and Engagement’s liaison for the Cancer Therapeutics, Biomedical Technology and Population Sciences & Health Disparities programs in addition to supporting the Clinical Trials Diversity Task Force at the Cancer Center. Neha graduated from UC Davis in 2020 and received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior and has experience in public health research and conducting community outreach. Neha’s personal interests include hiking, working out, cooking breakfast, dancing and traveling. |
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Kathy Le Kathy assists in developing and disseminating cancer information material, as well as aiding in research programs and studies. Kathy is a third year undergraduate student at the University of California, Davis majoring in Biological Sciences and minoring in Theatre and Dance. In her spare time, she enjoys dancing, working out, and cooking. |
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Vishal Harnoor Vishal assists in developing and disseminating cancer information material and in supporting the research programs and studies. Vishal is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of California, Davis majoring in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior and minoring in Public Health. In his spare time, he enjoys working out, spending time with friends, and playing basketball. |