Nora Balas
T32 CPCTP Post-doctoral Fellow
Modifiable risk factors and the development of subsequent solid malignancies after Blood or Marrow Transplantation (BMT). The goal is to investigate the association between modifiable risk factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and lack of physical activity and the development of new cancers among BMT survivors. The findings from this study will lay the foundation for my future research program, which will focus on developing and testing interventions tailored to mitigate these risk factors towards the prevention of new cancers and enhance the quality of life after BMT.
Nicole Caviness-Ashe
T32 CPCTP Post-doctoral Fellow
Dr. Nicole Caviness-Ashe is a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the department of Preventative Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham under the mentorship of Dr. Timiya Nolan, PhD, APRN-CNP, ANP-BC, FAAN. She has experience in clinical nursing, nursing education, oncology and laboratory research. Her program of research addresses cancer survivorship, health services, and health equity. Her goal is to utilize community-based interventions to improve patients’ access to cancer care through a social justice lens.
Kimberlyn Bartlett
T32 CPCTP Pre-doctoral Fellow
Ms. Kimberlyn Bartlett is a second-year Behavioral Neuroscience PhD student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her research is focused on uncovering the mechanisms by which the immune system modulates cancer pain and cancer-related pain, with the goal of translating these findings into better care for patients. She is mentored by Lyse Norian, PhD, and co-mentors Ellen Smith PhD and Robert Sorge, PhD.
Caitlin Harvey
T32 CPCTP Pre-doctoral Fellow
Ms. Caitlin Harvey is a fourth-year PhD candidate in the Graduate Biomedical Sciences program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham under the mentorship of Dr. Erin Ahn, PhD. Her research focuses on circularRNA in glioblastoma and aims to overcome treatment resistance that is prevalent in this disease.
Briana Machen
T32 CPCTP Pre-doctoral Fellow
Ms. Briana Machen is a pre-doctoral fellow in the Department of Neurobiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the Graduate Biomedical Sciences Program. She joined the CPCTP in August of 2024 and is mentored by Sofia Beas, PhD. Her research interests include behavioral neuroscience and bioinformatics, and she is currently studying the behavioral, neural, and circuit mechanisms mediating cancer-related cognitive impairments.
Shantay Williams
T32 CPCTP Pre-doctoral Fellow
Shantay Williams is a third-year medical sociology PhD student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Her research focuses on understanding and enhancing social support networks for Black women caregivers of patients with cancer. She is mentored by Drs. Mieke Thomeer, J. Nicholas Odom, and Soumya Niranjan. Ms. Williams’ long-term goal is to become a leading research expert at an academic health science center focused on advancing health equity and improving cancer outcomes for family caregivers in minority communities.