CHIBE’s Program Coordinator Serves as Community Advocate for Cancer Community

CHIBE’s program coordinator Samantha Fellman recently participated in the Making Research CLEAR (Community Learning and Experience About Research) program as a Community Advocate for the cancer community. The program aims to bring down the walls between cancer centers and the communities they serve, to increase transparency in the cancer research process, and to incorporate the community’s voice in cancer research. She was paired with Dr. Kuang-Yi Wen, an Associate Professor of Medical Oncology at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University.

As part of the program, Sam got a behind-the-scenes look at the cancer research process, attended cancer center meetings and lectures, and was able to share her cancer journey story with researchers and other members of the community impacted by cancer. She was also able to provide a cancer patient’s perspective during study design meetings, and her suggestion to add gamification to a particular study on a tai chi intervention for managing aromatase inhibitor-induced joint pain in patients with breast cancer is now being implemented.

“I found the work very meaningful and appreciated the commitment to having patient voices be heard,” she said.