American Cancer Society presents researcher of the year award

Vanessa B. Sheppard, PhD, received American Cancer Society’s 2022 Researcher of the Year Award.

Sheppard is associate director for community outreach and engagement and health disparities research at VCU Massey Cancer Center. She also is associate vice president of population and public health strategic initiatives, as well as chair in cancer prevention and control, at VCU School of Medicine

The award recognizes an investigator who has conducted innovative, impactful research and benefited from an American Cancer Society extramural grant.

The cancer society awarded $1.5 million to Sheppard, who is leading a randomized trial that seeks to increase uptake of chemotherapy and adjuvant hormone therapy among Black patients with breast cancer.

“I’m thrilled to receive this honor and grateful for the opportunity to shine a light on the incredibly common and harmful effects of cancer disparities on historically marginalized groups,” Sheppard said in a press release. “With interventions like the one funded by my ACS grant, we’re able to discover and test concrete, effective ways to remediate those disparities in the communities we serve. This research project is particularly meaningful to me as it was developed in concert with patients and their families.”

Sheppard’s research has focused on disparities in breast cancer outcomes and identifying strategies to overcome them through improved cancer care delivery or better quality of life for survivors. Her work also has explored how to improve communication between clinicians and Black individuals with cancer.

“I’m so proud and pleased to see Vanessa and her work recognized,” Robert A. Winn, MD, director of Massey Cancer Center, said in the release. “Not only is she an innovative, community-based researcher who champions needed change in health care, she’s also a mentor inspiring the next generation of physicians and scientists. Her work is at the core of Massey’s efforts to reimagine the role of cancer centers in communities.”