The Tisch Cancer Institute

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Community Scientist Program

Community Scientist Program

The Community Scientist (CS) Program is a network of community partners and patient advocates integrated throughout The Tisch Cancer Institute research continuum. The CS Program strengthens inclusive research, supports workforce development, and promotes a curriculum that engages with the community for trainees and fellows, contributing to the intersectionality across Community Outreach and Engagement and Cancer Research Training, and Education Coordination, and fosters a meaningful learning community for those interested in cancer research.

  

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Community scientists are advocates for the communities served by The Tisch Cancer Institute. They are key to increasing community education and awareness of cancer research, building trust in research, and informing our areas of research design and ethics. They additionally increase our researchers’ knowledge and awareness of community-identified needs, interests, and priorities.

The Tisch Cancer Institute created the Community Scientist Program to address the growing need for our researchers and community members to understand and engage with one another. By creating pathways for community members to get involved in the research process, and for researchers to recognize the value of incorporating community input in their projects, we ensure our research projects remain truly responsive to community needs. Our goal is to improve cancer outcomes for all individuals.

There is a wide range of what a community scientist can do, as their responsibilities depend on their research interests and desired level of engagement. At our monthly Community Scientist Workgroup, participants engage with researchers, receive support, mentorship, and the opportunity to work on a variety of projects. Interested community members are encouraged to attend a Community Scientist Workgroup meeting to learn more.

Different levels of training are available through the Community Scientist Program.Training is provided through a range of programs, including the Community Scientist Curriculum developed by the University of Florida and the DISRUPT Community Scientist Institute at The City College of New York. 

Community scientists often work together with an individual researcher or research group. Depending on the desired level of engagement, this role may be minimal (e.g., providing feedback on clinical trial recruitment materials), moderate (e.g., developing community-based research questions and hypotheses), or sustained (e.g., regularly participating in research team meetings to discuss a project’s progress). Community scientists also help modify research protocols and incorporate community input through the Protocol Review Monitoring Committee.

We are eager to connect with individuals interested in becoming community scientists. During our initial conversation, we will discuss your interests, experiences with research, and/or patient advocacy, and your desired level of engagement. To begin this process, send us an email.

Meet Our Community Scientists

Cynthia Chmielewski headshot

Cynthia Chmielewski

Cynthia Chmielewski, a retired educator and multiple myeloma survivor, uses her passion for education to teach a new group of "students"—multiple myeloma patients and their caregivers. Cynthia educates and advocates by tweeting on @MyelomaTeacher and sharing multiple myeloma resources, educational opportunities, and clinical trial information on her MyelomaTeacher Facebook page. She is the curriculum director of the HealthTree Foundation for Myeloma’s HealthTree University for Myeloma. She is also the patient advocate on several research grants.

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Cynthia Chmielewski

Cynthia Chmielewski, a retired educator and multiple myeloma survivor, uses her passion for education to teach a new group of "students"—multiple myeloma patients and their caregivers. Cynthia educates and advocates by tweeting on @MyelomaTeacher and sharing multiple myeloma resources, educational opportunities, and clinical trial information on her MyelomaTeacher Facebook page. She is the curriculum director of the HealthTree Foundation for Myeloma’s HealthTree University for Myeloma. She is also the patient advocate on several research grants.

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Tanisha Hill

Tanisha Hill is a Native New Yorker born and raised in the Upper West Side. She is a Human Resources and Business Professional with over 10 years of experience and is currently looking for her next role, preferably in tech. In her downtime, she loves dancing, working out, socializing with family and friends, meeting new people, exploring new foods, reading and researching. Tanisha has lost three relatives to cancer and feels that education and awareness about cancer should be accessible to all people, especially those in underserved communities.

Cynthia Chmielewski headshot

Cynthia Chmielewski

Cynthia Chmielewski, a retired educator and multiple myeloma survivor, uses her passion for education to teach a new group of "students"—multiple myeloma patients and their caregivers. Cynthia educates and advocates by tweeting on @MyelomaTeacher and sharing multiple myeloma resources, educational opportunities, and clinical trial information on her MyelomaTeacher Facebook page. She is the curriculum director of the HealthTree Foundation for Myeloma’s HealthTree University for Myeloma. She is also the patient advocate on several research grants.

Tanisha Hill headshot

Tanisha Hill

Tanisha Hill is a Native New Yorker born and raised in the Upper West Side. She is a Human Resources and Business Professional with over 10 years of experience and is currently looking for her next role, preferably in tech. In her downtime, she loves dancing, working out, socializing with family and friends, meeting new people, exploring new foods, reading and researching. Tanisha has lost three relatives to cancer and feels that education and awareness about cancer should be accessible to all people, especially those in underserved communities.

Dolores Moorehead headshot

Dolores Moorehead

Dolores Moorehead is the Community Engagement Director and Client Support Clinician for the Women’s Cancer Resource Center, a non-profit organization in Berkeley, California, dedicated to assisting women with cancer navigate the complex health care system and improve their quality of life through education and supportive services. For over 34 years, Dolores has passionately devoted her professional career to serving individuals with cancer in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Community Scientist Resources

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Principles of Community Engagement defines community-engaged research as “working collaboratively with groups of people who are affiliated by geography, interest, or similar circumstances to address issues affecting the well-being of that group.” 

According to the same report, there are several areas in which community engagement can have a positive impact on research, including:

  • Design, delivery, and agenda: community engagement can change the focus of projects, how they are initiated, and the availability of funding. Study design, materials, participation, and dissemination can be improved by community input, and new areas of collaboration can be identified. 
  • Implementation and change: research findings can be leveraged to advance health outcomes (e.g., create new or improved services, initiate policy and/or professional practice changes), while long-term partnerships can be expanded. 
  • Fostering trust in research: community engagement provides opportunities to improve the consent process, identify ethical issues, and create processes for resolving ethical issues when they arise. This can foster trust and lay the foundation for future research-community collaborations. 

Including community scientists in the research process allows for a mutually beneficial relationship to be forged, supported, and sustained for decades to come.

Our Community Scientists Workgroup meets quarterly, and researchers are welcome to present to the group on potential collaboration opportunities. When disseminating information about your research to the group, please keep in mind that it must be in lay terms. Any abbreviations or complex concepts must be clearly explained.

Additionally, it is always advisable to thank the Community Scientists at the end of the meeting, and most importantly, to follow up on the outcomes of any collaboration. This is one of the most frequent requests made by community scientists who interact with researchers: they want to know the results of their contributions and to receive feedback.

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Tisch Cancer Institute Community Outreach and Engagement

212-824-7802
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