Principal Investigator
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.
Research Partner
Xuguang Scott Chen, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at UNC School of Medicine. His clinical and research interests revolve around improving the outcomes of patients with head and neck cancer. He focuses on radiotherapy planning and treatment data to identify patterns and correlations that may lead to improved outcomes for head and neck cancer patients.
Study Staff
Heather Tipaldos, MS, CRA is the Project Director for CHANCE-2. WIth over 25 years of research administration management and government/regulatory compliance and oversight experience in both public and private University Systems. Heather is currently the Research Project Director for the Carolina Breast Cancer Studies, Carolina Head and Neck Cancer Study, and Carolina Endometrial Cancer Study, and is the Facility Director for Rapid Case Ascertainment, a collaboration between UNC Lineberger, the North Carolina Central Cancer Registry (CCR), and participating hospitals in North Carolina.
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.