FREMONT, Calif. (November 1, 2010) – Cancer Prevention Institute of California Research Scientist Scarlett Lin Gomez, Ph.D. has been named “2010 American Journal of Public Health Author of the Year.” Dr. Gomez is the recipient of the award as a result of her research article based on her study of breast cancer in Asian American groups titled, “Disparities in Breast Cancer Survival Among Asian Women by Ethnicity and Immigrant Status.”
The American Journal of Public Health is the monthly journal of the American Public Health Association, the oldest organization of public health professionals in the world. The journal’s “Author of the Year” is selected by the editors for the author or authors of a paper that has advanced a given public health policy or program by persuading readers to think differently about a topic.
Dr. Gomez spearheaded research that studied Asian American groups individually and revealed that, with the exception of Japanese women, all foreign-born women had higher breast cancer death rates than their US-born counterparts, even after considering clinical factors like cancer stage and treatment. In another study also published in the journal, Dr. Gomez and her colleagues found that breast cancer rates in US-born Chinese and Filipinas were very high and even higher that those of non-Hispanic white women among younger age groups and in recent years.
Dr. Gomez also presented her findings at the National Press Club in Washington, DC as part of a briefing on May 6, 2010. The journal will announce Dr. Gomez as the recipient of the award in its online Editor’s Choice column to be published this month.
The Cancer Prevention Institute of California is the nation’s premier organization dedicated to preventing cancer and to reducing its burden where it cannot yet be prevented. Formerly known as the Northern California Cancer Center, CPIC tracks patterns of cancer throughout the entire population and identifies those at risk for developing cancer.
Its research scientists are leaders in investigating the causes of cancer in large populations to advance the development of prevention-focused interventions. CPIC’s innovative cancer prevention research and cancer education and community partnership programs, together with the Stanford Cancer Center, deliver a comprehensive arsenal for defeating cancer. For more information, visit CPIC’s official website at www.cpic.org.
