Dr. Amelie Ramirez: Researcher Spotlights Global Cancer Prevention Research

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I recently had the privilege of attending and presenting my Susan G. Komen-funded research on boosting breast cancer survivorship through Patient Navigation at the 5th International Cancer Control Congress (ICCC) on Nov. 3-6, 2013, in Lima, Peru.

As a member of Komen’s Scientific Advisory Board, I was excited to be among the more than 400 health researchers and community leaders from throughout the world came together for this important meeting. Dr. Simon Sutcliffe of Vancouver, Canada, president of the ICCC and chair of the international steering committee, cited five key drivers for the group:

• improving human development;
• mobilizing a societal response to reduce cancer and other non-communicable diseases;
• improving population health;
• improving cancer treatment, management and care; and
• ensuring effective transfer of knowledge into action at a population level.

Dr. Carissa Etienne of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) also brought up the need to address challenges: how to apply our current knowledge to reduce cancer and how to implement comprehensive health care coverage to improve health for all.

How do we answer this call?

At the global level, Komen has invested more than $800 million in research and currently funds more than 500 active research grants. Since Komen’s inception in 1982, $89 million has been dedicated to more than 250 research grants focusing on health issues. Komen is the largest non-governmental funder of breast cancer research, and its efforts to invest in translation from the lab into treatment, early detection and prevention align well with the goals of the ICCC conference.

My own Komen-funded research is addressing the cancer burden.

Having a role in conferences like this can grow relationships that have the potential to generate collaborations to eradicate breast cancer across the globe.

Dr. Ramirez & Her Health Promotion Research

Ramirez is an internationally recognized health researcher at UT Health San Antonio.

Here, she is professor and chair of the Department of Population Health Sciences and director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio. She also is associate director of cancer outreach and engagement at the Mays Cancer Center.

She directs the Salud America! national multimedia health program. The program creates stories and tools empower its network of over 400,000 community leaders to drive healthy changes to promote health for all families.

Ramirez also launched the “Avanzando Center,” supported by a 4-year, $4.08-million grant from the American Cancer Society. The center is a response to the cancer burden facing South Texas. Center research scholars and the community are teaming up to address health across the cancer care continuum by targeting non-medical drivers of health that prevent people from obtaining care.

In addition, Dr. Ramirez is a part of the COmmuNity eNgagEment for building Capacity, Trust, and Ownership of Research (CONNECTOR). The project, funded by the American Heart Association, serves as a community engagement resource center to support other organizations promote health across the nation.

Dr. Ramirez & Her Cancer Research

Ramirez also conducts research to reduce cancer among Latinos and all people.

She aims to reduce lung cancer with Quitxt. This bilingual text-message service helps young adults quit smoking, funded by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.

On breast cancer, Ramirez is a Susan G. Komen Scholar. Her work has helped increase cancer screening rates and early detection. She has proven how tailored patient navigation can help patients get more timely diagnosis and treatment after an abnormal mammogram and improve the survivorship journey.

Another of her efforts is to improve participation in clinical trials.

Ramirez is enabling people volunteer for cancer and Alzheimer’s clinical trials. She is highlighting open clinical trials, conducting webinars, and sharing stories of real clinical trial participants. This work has been supported by Genentech, a member of the Roche Group.

She also leads the South Texas site of the Avanzando Caminos study. The research study aims to enroll 1,500 Latino cancer survivors in South Texas and 1,500 more in Miami to help unpack the social, cultural, behavioral, mental, biological, and medical influences on post-cancer life.

Ramirez also has trained/mentored more than 250 people in health fields.

She leads the National Cancer Institute-funded Éxito! training program. This helps master’s-level students and professionals pursue a doctoral degree and cancer research career. Of 226 Éxito! trainees since 2011, over 27% have enrolled in or graduated from a doctoral program.

“We work hard to enable people take the next steps from a master’s degree to get their doctoral degree and focus on careers in cancer research and prevention,” Ramirez said.

Dr. Ramirez & Her Service

Ramirez is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine.

She also is a Susan G. Komen Scholar, is on the prize jury for the Fries Prize for Improving Health Award and the Elizabeth Fries Health Education Award.

In Texas, she is on the San Antonio Mayor’s Fitness Council and is Past Board President of the The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas (TAMEST).

Additional recognition includes:

• 2011: White House Champion of Change
• 2014: APHA Everett M. Rogers Public Health Communication Award
• 2018: Icons in Healthcare Award from CentroMed
• 2019: Lifetime Achievement Award in Health from the Society of Behavioral Medicine
• 2019: Bluebonnet Award of the Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• 2020: CDC Board of Directors
• 2021: Heroes of the Fight Against COVID-19
• 2021-2022: Chair of the the Women in Cancer Research Council of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
• 2022: Outstanding Support Award from the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education, Inc.
• 2023: Inducted into the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame
• 2023: Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) Cancer Health Award
• 2024: John P. McGovern Lectureship Award in Health Promotion by the Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health

Ramirez also created the Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos biennial conference series.

Launched in 2018 and continued in 2020, 2022, and 2024, the conference welcomes international researchers, physicians, community leaders, patient advocates, and more to tackle cancer from prevention to treatment to survivorship among Latinos and all people.

“We share research, experience, and action to translate basic research into clinical best practices, effective community interventions, and professional training programs to eliminate cancer issues,” Ramirez said.

In 2022, TV personality Oprah Winfrey selected Ramirez as a “Cycle Breaker” for her groundbreaking work to build public health. Watch the episode featuring Ramirez!

Ramirez earned M.P.H. and Dr.P.H. degrees from UT Health Science Center at the Houston School of Public Health.

She is a native of Laredo, Texas.