Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas
Jane Montealegre, PhD, MPH

Jane Montealegre, PhD, MPH

Associate Professor, Behavioral Science
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Dr. Jane Montealegre is an associate professor at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. She is a behavioral epidemiologist and implementation scientist with research expertise in the design, implementation, and evaluation of community- and health system-based interventions to address cancer health disparities. Much of her research focuses on the prevention and detection of cervical and other human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers in underserved and minoritized populations. She is PD of two continuously-funded CPRIT Prevention Programs that target safety net health systems and aim to 1) increase access to and utilization of cervical and colorectal cancer screening and follow-up among adult patients; and 2) increase delivery and uptake of HPV vaccination and tobacco prevention services among pre-adolescent and adolescent patients.

A significant part of Dr. Montealegre’s research focuses on the implementation of self-sampling for primary HPV testing to improve access to and utilization of cervical cancer screening in underscreened populations. She is a member of the American Cancer Society National Roundtable on Cervical Cancer Screening Self-Sampling Workgroup that is charged with addressing considerations needed to prepare and implement self-sampling (once FDA approved) for cervical cancer screening. Her research in this area includes an NIH-funded pragmatic randomized trial to evaluate self-sample HPV testing with patient navigation in a U.S. safety net health system and a community-based trial evaluating a community health worker model for implementing self-sampling HPV testing in the Rio Grande Valley region on Texas.

Sessions:
Copyright © 2024 Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas