About Our Team

Principal Investigators

Andrew Olshan, PhD has been an active researcher and educator at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill since 1991. He is the current Barbara Sorenson Hulka Distinguished Professor of Cancer Epidemiology at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health Department of Epidemiology where he served as Chair from 2006 until 2018 and the Associate Director of Population Science at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. He also directs the Lineberger Rapid Case Ascertainment Core, which works with the Central Cancer Registry to identify potential study participants for this study. His major interests include the environmental and genetic epidemiology of cancer and reproductive, perinatal and pediatric outcomes.

Melissa Troester, PhD, MPH, Professor of Epidemiology with joint appointment in Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, leads the Carolina Breast Cancer Study. Her research focuses on biomarker development and validation, genomic methods, pathologic imaging data, and socialepidemiologic methods to understand interactions of biology and access to care in breast cancer. Her work aims to end disparities in breast cancer outcomes by age, race, and geographic factors by identifying interventions for improved breast cancer outcomes.

Research Partners

Neil Hayes, MD, MS, MPH is Chief of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center Hematology/Oncology Division, where he oversees precision cancer medicine in Regional One Health’s medical oncology and hematology practice. Dr. Hayes is a Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, one of the highest recognitions granted by the ASCO to distinguished clinicians, scientists, educators, and policy leaders. Board-certified in medical oncology, he specializes in lung and head and neck tumors, also known as head and neck cancer.

Wendell G. Yarbrough, MD, MMHC, is the Dark Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery at UNC School of Medicine. He is a head and neck surgeon and co-leads the Laboratory for Head and Neck Oncology in the Lineberger Cancer Center where research focuses on understanding HPV-associated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and using molecular vulnerability to create new treatments as well as personalize care.

Jamie Hunter, PMP is the Project Manager for CHANCE-2 who works, along with the study team, to seek excellence in all aspects of the Carolina Head and Neck Cancer Studies. She desires to ensure study participants have quality experiences while maintaining precision in the execution of the specified aims and outcomes. Within the study, Jamie is responsible for oversight of human subjects research approvals, quality control, and data integrity activities. She also manages administration of the Carolina Breast Cancer, Carolina Endometrial Cancer, and Carolina Head and Neck Cancer Studies, managing staff and coordinating enrollment and data collection for over 4,000 participants.

Christopher Cohen, MSM is a dynamic and invaluable member of the CHANCE-2 team. With his Master of Science in Management from Wake Forest University, he brings a robust expertise in healthcare management, business analytics, and strategic decision-making to his role. Stepping into the position of Research Coordinator, Chris has already demonstrated exceptional leadership and vision, significantly enhancing the direction and impact of the study. His leadership skills, honed as the former President of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity at UNC, have been instrumental in fostering collaboration and driving success within the team. Chris’s commitment to excellence continues to shape the study’s trajectory, ensuring its ongoing impact and success.