The Department of Health Systems and Population Health has received two new grants from the American Cancer Society that will advance innovative, equity-focused cancer prevention and disparities research. Together, the awards support both groundbreaking individual scholarship and a major regional collaboration, reinforcing the department’s leadership in translating evidence into real-world impact. From reimagining breast cancer prevention in clinical settings to strengthening the pipeline of early-career cancer researchers, these investments mark an important step forward in efforts to reduce cancer risk and improve outcomes for communities in Washington state and beyond.
Alcohol reduction interventions in mammography clinics
Emily C. Williams, professor in the Department of Health Systems and Population Health, has received a new grant from the American Cancer Society to advance breast cancer prevention through an innovative alcohol reduction intervention delivered at the time of mammography. Williams will lead a community-engaged project to adapt and pilot test a computer-based, evidence-based brief intervention designed to help women reduce unhealthy alcohol use — a major and modifiable risk factor for both breast cancer development and recurrence.
Breast cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women worldwide and a leading cause of early mortality, with approximately 500,000 new diagnoses each year in the United States alone. At the same time, rates of heavy episodic drinking and alcohol use disorder among women have risen steadily. Alcohol has well-established carcinogenic properties and is associated with increased breast cancer incidence, recurrence, and mortality. Despite this strong link, alcohol interventions have never before been offered in the mammography setting — a critical touchpoint for prevention and early detection. Williams’s project aims to change that by leveraging what she describes as a “learnable moment” when women may be particularly receptive to information about risk reduction.
“Our partners from Hopkins have developed a highly accessible, evidence-based alcohol reduction intervention, and this funding allows us to thoughtfully adapt it for use in mammography clinics,” Williams said. “By partnering with community members with lived experience of breast cancer and listening closely to the stories and needs of women at risk and in survivorship — as well as clinical providers — we can ensure this intervention is relevant, respectful, and impactful.” Through qualitative research and collaboration with patients and providers, the project seeks to develop tailored intervention content that can ultimately help curb breast cancer diagnoses by addressing a common and changeable risk factor at a pivotal point in care.
Innovative cancer disparities research
In addition to this individual award, the American Cancer Society has also granted a new Institutional Research Grant (IRG) to the Cancer Consortium, a regional collaboration among the University of Washington, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, and Seattle Children’s Hospital. The four-year award will provide $120,000 annually in competitive pilot funding to support early-stage faculty conducting cancer disparities research.
“This is an exciting opportunity for assistant-level faculty across the Cancer Consortium,” said Peggy Hannon, Harris-Wasserheit Endowed Professor and Director of the Health Promotion Research Center at UW. “It will support pilot research across the cancer control continuum (from prevention to survivorship). It’s common to need pilot research before getting a major 5-year grant, but funding for that pilot research can be difficult to find.”
Hannon will serve as Principal Investigator. She is joined by Co-Investigators Jay Mendoza of Fred Hutch and Brian Saelens of Seattle Children’s. The proposal brings together a broad, multidisciplinary review committee that includes faculty from the Department of Health Systems and Population Health — Megha Ramaswamy, Sarah Knerr, and Emily C. Williams — as well as adjunct professor Allison Cole from the School of Medicine. Additional committee members represent the UW School of Nursing, Fred Hutch, Seattle Children’s, and the American Cancer Society.
“We are excited to support early-stage investigators who plan to focus their careers on addressing and reducing disparities in cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship,” Hannon added.
The primary goal of the IRG is to accelerate innovative cancer disparities research by assistant professors across the consortium institutions. In addition to receiving pilot funding, awardees will benefit from structured mentoring and career development opportunities designed to strengthen future external grant applications and long-term research trajectories. By investing in emerging investigators and prioritizing equity-focused cancer research, the Cancer Consortium aims to expand the pipeline of scholars working to reduce cancer-related disparities in the region and beyond.