Hosts:

Coral Omene, MD, PhD (Rutgers Cancer Institute)

Ryan Nguyen, DO (University of Illinois Cancer Center)

Featured Guest:

Jerome Adams, MD, MPH, FASA

Former U.S. Surgeon General (2017–2021); Executive Director of Health Equity Initiatives, Purdue University; Former Indiana State Health Commissioner

Episode Summary:

Dr. Jerome Adams joins Dr. Coral Omene and Dr. Ryan Nguyen for an in-depth discussion on health equity, leadership, and lessons learned from serving as the nation’s 20th U.S. Surgeon General during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Adams reflects on his journey practicing medicine, advancing health equity initiatives, and his experience as the United States Surgeon General.

Together, they explore how clinicians, researchers, and community partners can work together to reduce disparities in health outcomes.

Topics Covered:

• What inspired Dr. Adams’ path to medicine and public health
• Lessons learned as Indiana State Health Commissioner and U.S. Surgeon General
• Defining “health equity” across clinical, governmental, and academic roles
• Purdue’s Health Equity Initiatives and the HEAL Center’s community impact
• Communicating science and building public trust during crises
• How collaborations like the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium can address disparities nationwide

Resources Mentioned:

• Center for Community Health Empowerment and Learning (HEAL)
• Purdue University Health Empowerment Initiatives
• Surviving COVID: A Comprehensive Guide to Keeping Your Family, Your Community, and Yourself Safe - by Dr. Jerome Adams
• Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Spotlight on Opioids
• Big Ten CRC Health Equity Resources
• Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium

Coral Omene, MD, PhD, of Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Dr. Ryan Nguyen, DO, of the University of Illinois Cancer Center join Lisa Hayes, breast cancer survivor and Executive Director of Pink-4-Ever Ending Disparities, for a powerful conversation about the realities of facing cancer as a Black woman. Lisa shares how her diagnosis reshaped her life’s purpose and why inclusive, community-driven clinical research is essential. Tune in for an inspiring and eye-opening discussion on survivorship, equity, and patient advocacy.

Featured Guest:

• Lisa Hayes, Executive Director, Pink-4-Ever Ending Disparities; former director of women’s health, Gennesaret Free Clinic; Patient Advocate

Topics Covered:

• Lisa’s 18-year journey as a breast cancer survivor
• The importance of warm handoffs and trusted community resources
• A landmark neuropathy study designed with and for Black women
• Pink-4-Ever’s “Survivorship as a Lifestyle” program
• What early-career researchers can do to build trust in communities

• Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium
• Big Ten CRC Health Equity Resources
• IU research targets debilitating side effects for Black breast cancer patients: IU News
• Pink-4-Ever Ending Disparities

Dr. Coral Omene from Rutgers Cancer Institute talks with Tina Butts, a breast cancer survivor, about her experiences as a Black female patient in a clinical trial. Listen as Tina shares her journey, discussing the unique challenges of facing cancer as a Black woman. Tune in for an illuminating and touching conversation about resilience, faith, and the emotional realities of navigating life with cancer.

Dr. Ryan Nguyen, a physician and researcher at the University of Illinois Cancer Center in Chicago, joins our hosts, Dr. Craig Cole of Michigan State University, Dr. Coral Omene of Rutgers University, and Dr. Monika Joshi of Penn State University, for an in-depth conversation on diversity in clinical trials. The group discusses a range of topics including barriers to equitable enrollment in clinical trials, the role of the FDA in promoting more diverse clinical trial enrollment, the role of precision oncology for diverse populations, findings from a clinical study on enrollment in trials leading to FDA approvals in breast cancer, community engagement in clinical trials, and the impact of lung cancer screening.

Learn more about the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium Diversity Committee: https://bigtencrc.org/clinical-research/diversity/

About the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium: The Big Ten cancer centers united to transform the conduct of cancer research through collaborative clinical trials and observational studies that seek to improve the lives of cancer patients in the diverse communities we serve by leveraging the scientific and clinical expertise of Big Ten universities. The Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium creates a unique team research culture to drive science rapidly from ideas to treatment and prevention. Within this innovative environment, today’s research leaders collaborate with and mentor the research leaders of tomorrow.

About the Big Ten Conference: The Big Ten Conference is an association of world-class universities whose member institutions share a common mission of research, graduate, professional and undergraduate teaching and public service. Founded in 1896, the Big Ten has sustained a comprehensive set of shared practices and policies that enforce the priority of academics in the lives of students competing in intercollegiate athletics and emphasize the values of integrity, fairness and competitiveness. The broad-based programs of the 14 Big Ten institutions will provide over $200 million in direct financial support to more than 9,800 students for more than 11,000 participation opportunities on 350 teams in 42 different sports. The Big Ten sponsors 28 official conference sports, 14 for men and 14 for women, including the addition of men’s ice hockey and men’s and women’s lacrosse since 2013. For more information, visit www.bigten.org.

Monika Joshi, MD, of Penn State Cancer Institute, Craig Cole, MD, of Michigan State University, and Coral Omene, MD, PhD, of Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey talk about the recently established Diversity Committee within the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium. During the conversation, the co-chairs discuss the range of diversity-focused initiatives the consortium intends to undertake. They also delved into the significance of ensuring equitable access for patients to participate in clinical trials.

Learn more about the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium Diversity Committee: https://bigtencrc.org/clinical-research/diversity/

About the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium: The Big Ten cancer centers have united to transform the conduct of cancer research through collaborative, hypothesis-driven, highly translational oncology trials that leverage the scientific and clinical expertise of Big Ten universities. The Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium creates a unique team-research culture to drive science rapidly from ideas to treatment-changing paradigms. Within this innovative environment, today’s research leaders collaborate with and mentor the research leaders of tomorrow with the unified goal of improving the lives of all patients with cancer.

About the Big Ten Conference: The Big Ten Conference is an association of world-class universities whose member institutions share a common mission of research, graduate, professional and undergraduate teaching and public service. Founded in 1896, the Big Ten has sustained a comprehensive set of shared practices and policies that enforce the priority of academics in the lives of students competing in intercollegiate athletics and emphasize the values of integrity, fairness and competitiveness. The broad-based programs of the 14 Big Ten institutions will provide over $200 million in direct financial support to more than 9,800 students for more than 11,000 participation opportunities on 350 teams in 42 different sports. The Big Ten sponsors 28 official conference sports, 14 for men and 14 for women, including the addition of men’s ice hockey and men’s and women’s lacrosse since 2013. For more information, visit www.bigten.org