Addressing health disparities in the Dallas/Fort Worth area will be a key focus for Dr. Jasmin Tiro in her new position as Associate Director of Community, Outreach, Engagement, and Equity in the Simmons Cancer Center.

Her new role will include assessing of the cancer burden in Dallas/Fort Worth and the counties surrounding UT Southwestern Medical Center; studying health behaviors in the area and how they impact cancer risk and treatment outcomes; and ensuring research at the Simmons Cancer Center aligns with the needs of those patients.

“We want to make sure that the research we are doing is pertinent to the catchment area. For instance, we have a high incidence of liver cancer in Texas, so we want to be certain that we are focusing significant efforts on liver cancer research,” said Dr. Tiro, Associate Professor of Clinical Sciences.

“My research has been in HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine and developing interventions to improve uptake. In Dallas County, completion of the vaccine series is at 36 percent. Our goal is 80 percent. In my new role, I will be looking at strategies for improving access and delivery of prevention services, from vaccines to screening, across all of the 13 counties we serve.”

Another aspect of Dr. Tiro’s new position will be serving as a liaison for cancer-related community outreach and involving those community groups in research taking place at the Simmons Cancer Center.

“For some of the discoveries that we make in cancer research, it takes too many years for them to be implemented in clinical practice. That delay is not appropriate and our patients deserve better. We should figure out ways for patients to have prompt access, and that is another key issue I will be addressing.”

Dr. Carlos L. Arteaga, Director of the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, appointed Dr. Tiro to the newly created position, and the two will work closely together.

“We are one of the most diverse and one of the youngest catchment areas in the country,” Dr. Arteaga said. “We have a high proportion of uninsured. I am strongly committed to reducing cancer health disparities and making sure the Simmons Cancer Center is doing all we can to promote cancer health equity of the people in our area. Dr. Tiro will work closely with me in her new role to create strategies to meet those goals and all of us are thrilled she is leading our community outreach efforts.”