News

Ralph Lauren, Georgetown University opens DC cancer prevention center

WASHINGTON (7News) — A new cancer prevention center is open in Navy Yard.

The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation is working with Georgetown University to provide services at the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Prevention. The facility takes the place of Capital Breast Care Center on New Jersey Avenue Southeast.

Services will include prevention for all cancers with a focus on Washington, D.C.’s underserved communities in Wards 6, 7 and 8.

Although the center is West of the Anacostia, it is near a metro stop and bus line. The center also has a van that can be used to pickup and drop off patients.

“Here, we’re moving the needle to the left, earlier detection, making certain that people are screened in a timely fashion so that if they’re diagnosed with cancer, it doesn’t become ‘The Big C’ it becomes the ‘little c.’ You’re diagnosed with cancer yet, you’re gonna live,” said Dr. Lucile Adams-Campbell, founding director of the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Prevention. “So living with cancer is what we’re promoting. You live with cancer if you’re diagnosed early enough.”

The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation is pledging $25 million to open five new centers across the country like the D.C. location. The center will also expand access to cancer treatment clinical trials and help connect patients with doctors and area hospitals.

Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation makes gift to address disparities in cancer care

The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation, continuing its longstanding partnership with Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, has made a gift to establish the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Prevention. This gift—part of the foundation’s $25 million commitment to support five cancer care and prevention programs—will address health disparities in cancer detection, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention for underserved communities across the Washington, D.C. region.

“When someone we love has cancer, it affects all of us—our families, our friends, our communities,” said Ralph Lauren, executive chairman and chief creative officer of Ralph Lauren Corporation, and chair of the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation. “While we have made significant progress and advancements in the fight against cancer, barriers to care and access persist, particularly in our most medically underserved and vulnerable communities. It is our hope that, together, we can continue to raise awareness of this complex disease, strengthen avenues of support, and generate meaningful change for families and communities who need it most. For over 30 years, this has been my personal commitment, and now, joined by so many dedicated partners, we envision a world where cancer outcomes improve for everyone and survivors thrive.”

Lucile Adams-Campbell, Ph.D.—professor of oncology, associate director of minority health & health disparities research at Georgetown Lombardi, and senior associate dean for community outreach and engagement at the Medical Center—oversees the Capital Breast Care Center and will lead the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Prevention. She describes Georgetown’s responsibility not only to care for the whole person, but also to care for whole communities.

“My philosophy is that every health system should be working to reduce health disparities,” Adams-Campbell says. “I think Georgetown is stepping up and playing a major role in addressing the needs of the community. And hopefully, by addressing those needs, we will begin to mitigate the disparities and move towards equity.”

The center will leverage a holistic approach to promoting health and human dignity and draw on Georgetown’s capabilities across interdisciplinary education, patient care, and research.

“We look forward to working with the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation to address health disparities in communities that are so in need,” Adams-Campbell says. “This gift will enable us to do so much more in the community.”

Our EPID student, Tamara Springer, was featured as a graduation speaker at the Georgetown Graduate School Commencement on May 24, 2021. Congratulations Tamara!

Master’s of Epidemiology Professor Dr. Seble Kassaye leads development of confidential COVID-19 symptom tracking tool

August 17, 2020 – Infectious disease expert Dr. Seble Kassaye (new window), associate professor of medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) and former GHUCCTS KL2 scholar, led a team of researchers to develop an online COVID-19 symptom tracking tool. The tool ensures a person’s confidentiality while being able to actively monitor their symptoms

“Our online system provides a method for efficient, active monitoring of large numbers of individuals under quarantine or home isolation, while maintaining privacy” says Dr. Kassaye in a recent news release from GUMC (new window). Recognizing the urgent need for this kind of technology, the team developed the initial tool in just five days. The team launched the app in March 2020, using 48 medical students as a pilot group. Since then, the team had released a Spanish language version and hope to pursue mobile and voice-activated versions of the tool.

BRIC Program Teaches Evidence-Based Strategies to Reduce Bias

June 5, 2020 — When participants in the Bias Reduction and Improvement Coaching (BRIC) program planned their June 3 quarterly workshop, they couldn’t have imagined what would transpire in the interim from their last meeting.

Against the backdrop of a country grappling with racial violence and systemic racism, the “coaches” started their meeting via Zoom by reflecting on the death of George Floyd under the knee of a white police officer.

“The BRIC program provides a specific platform by which we can discuss racial injustice and both conscious and unconscious bias in academic medicine overall and within our own institutions at GUMC and MedStar,” said BRIC program organizer Kristi Graves, PhD, associate professor of oncology, director of the Survivorship Research Initiative at Georgetown Lombardi.

Chiranjeev Dash Delivers the John F. Potter, MD Lecture

On March 6, 2020, Chiranjeev Dash, MBBS, PhD, MPH, will deliver the John F. Potter, MD Lecture. This lecture is named in honor of the first director of Georgetown Lombardi. His leadership inspired the creation of the John F. Potter, MD Award, to be awarded to an early-career researcher. Dr. Dash’s strong impact on our collective work led to him being named the 2019 recipient of this honor. Dr. Dash’s efforts to combat breast and colorectal cancers while addressing related health disparities are a daily example of Georgetown’s commitment to Cura Personalis, and an inspiration to us all.

Lucile Adams-Campbell Named a 2018 Washingtonian of the Year

Lucile Adams-Campbell, Ph.D., Director of the Master’s Program in Epidemiology at the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences at Georgetown University, as well as Professor of Oncology and Associate Director for Minority Health and Health Disparities Research at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, was named a 2018 ‘Washingtonian of the Year’ by Washingtonian magazine. The annual honor is bestowed on individuals who contribute to the city’s health, welfare, community service and cultural richness, and who have generally made significant, measurable contributions to making Washington, D.C., a great place to live.

Read more at the Lombardi Cancer Center website or you can read the original Washingtonian magazine article.  

Georgetown Women In Medicine Honors Suzanne O’Neill

December 9, 2018 — At their annual awards ceremony and reception, Georgetown Women in Medicine (GWIM) recognized women on the faculty at GUMC for their accomplishments in mentoring, leadership and more. Master’s of Epidemiology professor Suzanne O’Neill, Ph.D. was awarded the John Eisenberg Career Development Award.