Three SC&I Communication faculty members and two doctoral students participated in the second annual Cancer Research Symposium jointly sponsored by Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Princeton University held virtually on January 11.

According to the event’s website, the goal of the symposium was to facilitate inter-institutional collaborations between researchers. The agenda included faculty presentations, trainee talks, and flash talks on posters selected from submitted abstracts. Featured sessions focused on cancer genomics, cancer metabolism and tumor microenvironment, and population science efforts to evaluate and address cancer health disparities.

SC&I participants included Assistant Professor of Communication Yonaira M. Rivera, who gave the opening presentation, “Exploring the Role of Social Media in Cancer Health Disparities: Understanding Cancer (Mis)information Engagement among Latino/a Facebook Users.” Professor of Communication Kathryn Greene, Associate Professor of Communication Maria Venetis, and doctoral students Liesl Broadbridge and Lauren Lee presented, “The Influence of Perceived Oncologist Empathy on Disclosure Decision-Making.” During the poster session, Greene presented, “Vaccine Confidence and HPV Vaccination in NJ.” Greene, Venetis, and Lee presented, “Patients’ Reports of Time Alone with Oncology Providers: Influences of Support Persons’ Presence on Patients' Disclosure during Consultations.”

Broadbridge and Lee’s presentations and posters were based on a project funded by SC&I’s individual faculty research grants and supplemented by the Communication department. Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey is the state's only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.