Supplement: University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center Cancer Center Support Grant - Population Health Assessment in Cancer Center Catchment Areas

The Markey Cancer Center (MCC), a dedicated matrix cancer center established as an integral part of the University of Kentucky (UK) and the UK HealthCare enterprise, has undergone dramatic expansion in recent years, including designation as the only NCI-supported cancer center in the state of Kentucky. This significant momentum is being harnessed to drive a measurable reduction in cancer mortality in Kentucky, particularly Appalachian Kentucky, through a comprehensive program of cancer research, prevention, community outreach, and patient care. Situated on a campus with all six health professions colleges in proximity to each other, the MCC offers a history of rich transdisciplinary collaboration, an outstanding program of cancer prevention and control that has produced seminal work in Appalachian Kentucky, nationally acclaimed basic research programs in cancer biology and DNA repair and oxidative stress, and a translational therapeutics program complemented by a top five College of Pharmacy. Major efforts are being made to further enhance the translational research activity at the MCC. Through this NCI administrative supplement – which enhances Markey’s capacity to conduct local research to better define and describe our catchment area using a multilevel population health framework – we have the opportunity to capitalize on and add value to MCC’s existing community outreach and research efforts in Appalachian Kentucky. Specifically, we aim to collect health-related data from 1,000 residents in eastern Kentucky, modeling our sampling, recruitment, and data collection efforts after NCI’s well-established HINTS survey (n=800) as well as leveraging our established partnerships for in-person, community-based data collection (n=200). Supplemental funding would strengthen MCC’s commitment to facilitating collaborations in which local area providers, public health practitioners, policymakers, and nonprofit organizations can utilize the collected data to develop or expand applied cancer control research, planning, intervention, and implementation efforts to impact cancer health disparities in Appalachian Kentucky.