Tarsha Jones
Florida Atlantic University, FL·Public Health & Epidemiology·Early-career
Some breast cancers are driven by inherited changes in genes such as BRCA1, BRCA2 and PALB2. These cause hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) syndrome.
- Fields
Public Health & Epidemiology
Medicine & Clinical Research
Genetics
- Topics
breast cancer
hereditary breast and ovarian cancer
genetic testing
- Grants
- 1 known grant, through Jun 2027
What they work on
- Identify factors linked to completing HBOC multigene panel testing, risk-reducing behaviors and family risk communication among 300 racially and ethnically diverse young breast cancer survivors, using a mixed-methods design.
- Interview 40 young survivors, both tested and untested, about their beliefs about genetic testing and the barriers and supports for sharing genetic risk with at-risk relatives.
- Adapt the RealRisks web-based decision aid for young survivors, adding family risk communication content, through user-centered design, participatory workshops and usability testing.
- Run a pilot randomized controlled trial comparing standard education with education plus the adapted RealRisks aid on decisional conflict, testing uptake and family communication.
More about the research
Women diagnosed at age 50 or younger are more likely to carry such variants. Fewer than half of young patients complete genetic testing, and Black and Hispanic/Latina women face well-documented disparities in testing and outcomes. When a variant is found, relatives also need to know so they can be tested, a process called cascade testing. This project studies why young, racially and ethnically diverse breast cancer survivors in South Florida do or do not get multigene panel testing, a single test that checks many cancer-risk genes at once. It also tests a decision aid to help them decide and share results with family.
Why it matters
Young Black and Hispanic/Latina women with breast cancer are under-tested for inherited cancer risk and under-represented in genetics research. A decision aid that helps them choose genetic testing and share results with relatives could increase testing and cancer risk reduction in their families. It could also help narrow disparities in breast cancer prevention.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
Closest labs
Megan Roberts
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC·Public Health & Epidemiology
Adapt the paper-based Let's Talk workbook into an interactive online tool that helps patients with Lynch syndrome tell relatives about genetic risk, guided by patient preferences and user feedback.
Yue Guan
Emory University, GA·Public Health & Epidemiology
Adapt Georgia's statewide family history screening program for BRCA-associated cancers at multiple levels, guided by the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation and Sustainment framework, to maximize sustainable reach and improve risk communication.
Jaimi Allen
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, AR·Public Health & Epidemiology·Early-career
Identify differences in employment status among breast cancer survivors, including differences linked to education and income.
The school
Florida Atlantic University: 7 labs on PI Pages, $88M a year on research, 124 research doctorates a year.
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