Cancer Prevention & Control Research Program

The Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program within the Livestrong Cancer Institutes serves as a home for scientists who aim to develop and implement comprehensive, evidence-based strategies that reduce the burden of cancer among disproportionally affected populations.

The program’s faculty represent diverse research areas in medicine, population health, social work and geography. Together, they collaborate to improve health outcomes.

A man on a panel speaks. Two women seated next to him look on.

Two women standing in front of each other talking.

A man wearing a medical mask stands in front of a colorectal cancer research poster.

Areas of Focus

Develop comprehensive programs across all preventable, detectable cancers.
Educate and empower individuals and communities in engaging in healthy behaviors to reduce cancer risk.
Create effective community outreach strategies to increase education and promote evidence-based screening.
Create health care pathways that facilitate equitable access to screening and full treatment options.
Improve access to care by continuing to explore new, applicable cancer prevention and control methods available through scientific and medical research.

Helpful Links

Program Leader

Navkiran “Kiran” K. Shokar, M.D., MPH

Approach to Research

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Leadership & Faculty

Approach to Research

Research within the program strives to promote health equity by reducing the cancer burden among disadvantaged individuals and medically underserved communities. Social, economic and geographic considerations comprise the program’s initiatives that aim to prevent cancer, reduce cancer risk and detect cancer earlier.

“Understanding the role of access in Hispanic cancer screening disparities”

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Woven into the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program is a coordinated approach to reducing cancer incidence and morbidity and mortality through interdisciplinary collaboration. The program creates and leverages collaborations across Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin and Federally Qualified Health Center partners such as Central Health-affiliated CommUnityCare Health Centers and Lone Star Circle of Care. It also receives funding support from key partners such as the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.

These comprehensive partnerships, which also extend to the community, help drive the program’s shared goal of increasing access to cancer prevention services, screenings and care.

Leadership & Faculty

The Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program is led by Navkiran Shokar, M.D., MPH, chair of the Department of Population Health.

Shokar is a distinguished cancer prevention and control researcher who focuses on addressing disparities in screening detectable cancers in vulnerable groups.

Adewole “Ade” Adamson, M.D., MPP

Anton L.V. Avanceña, Ph.D.

Justin Benzer, Ph.D.

Yessenia Castro, Ph.D.

Jessica Calderon-Mora, DrPH, MPH.

Catherine Cubbin, Ph.D.

Michael Mackert, Ph.D.

Daisy Yvette Morales-Campos, Ph.D.

Jenny Spencer, Ph.D.

Mary M. Velasquez, Ph.D.

F. Benjamin Zhan, Ph.D.