Patricia I. Moreno, PhD

LAB MEMBERS

Magela Pons earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Miami, where she also completed her Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH). She is now preparing to apply for a PhD in Clinical Psychology. For the past four years, she has served as a Clinical Research Coordinator at the CARES Lab, managing and supporting multiple NIH- and foundation-funded studies. Her research experience spans projects on palliative care, quality-of-life outcomes in diverse cancer populations, immunotherapy survivorship, access to care among patients with hematologic malignancies, community health worker interventions, fertility preservation, and supportive care needs among pancreatic cancer patients. Earlier in her career, Magela combined community service and research, volunteering in underserved communities to support reconstruction efforts and education programs for adults with disabilities, and gaining research experience in pediatrics, oncology, and psychiatry. She contributed to studies on childhood obesity prevention, cancer treatment and prevention, biomarker development, and behavioral health assessment. Born in Cuba and raised in Spain, Magela is passionate about advancing psycho-oncology research, particularly in Hispanic/Latino populations. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new places in Miami, visiting museums, and spending time with her family and friends.

Magela Pons, MPH

Clinical Research Coordinator

Nichelle Solomon graduated from Brooklyn College with a B.A. in Psychology. She joins the CARES Lab with over four years of experience coordinating oncology clinical trials, with expertise in protocol development, regulatory compliance, and biospecimen management. Prior to joining the team, she served as a Clinical Research Coordinator at the New York Proton Center, where she led multiple studies and played a key role in mentoring junior staff and enhancing patient accrual strategies. Her research background includes contributions to NIH- and NSF-funded studies at Baylor College of Medicine focused on respiratory biomechanics. She has presented at national conferences, most recently as lead author at the ASTRO Annual Meeting, where her work highlighted racial disparities in radiation oncology clinical trial enrollment. Nichelle is passionate about health equity and advancing access to clinical research for historically underrepresented communities.

Nichelle Solomon

Clinical Research Coordinator

Jessica Thomas, MA, LCSW

Research Project Coordinator

Jessica Thomas graduated from Georgetown University with a Bachelor of Arts in French and from the University of Chicago with a Master of Arts in Social Service Administration (equivalent to Master of Social Work). Prior to discovering the world of research, Jessica worked primarily with children and adolescents in community and school settings. She initially came to Northwestern University to work on a study involving a technology-based intervention for men with advanced prostate cancer. During this study, Jessica learned that she enjoys group work with older adults, and that the psychosocial aspects of living with cancer are often just as challenging as the physical aspects, if not more so. Jessica has also contributed to the adaptation and development of a similar intervention for gay and bisexual men and trans women living with both HIV and cancer, as well as other cancer-focused translational research work. Most recently, Jessica has started working with a neuroscience lab, using her clinical skills to administer cognitive function and memory screening tasks. Jessica has not yet worked with couples going through the diagnostic process for cancer, so the Couples Cope study will be an exciting learning opportunity for her. She also oversees the pilot randomized controlled trial with women living with metastatic breast cancer. When not at work, Jessica enjoys traveling, taking long walks, listening to music and podcasts, and spending time with her family (in particular, FaceTiming with her adorable nieces and nephews).

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Heidy Medina, PhD, MPH

Post-Doctoral Scholar

Heidy Medina, PhD, MPH is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the NCI-funded T32 South Florida Cancer Control Training in Disparities and Equity (CTIDE) Program at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. She is a graduate of the Epidemiology PhD program at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She also graduated from the University of Miami with a BS in Biology and Psychology where she also completed her Masters in Public Health. Heidy’s interests in cancer health disparities stem from her graduate capstone project in pediatric cancers in which she worked with the childhood cancer survivorship program at Alex’s Place Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center in engaging with childhood cancer survivors in examining long-term effects of treatment and increasing patient knowledge and self-advocacy. She later continued to volunteer at the clinic after her project finalized and enjoyed getting to know the patients and their families on a more personal level which impacted her perspectives on her long-term career goals. Heidy’s doctoral training included working with Dr. Frank Penedo in evaluating the impact of symptom and toxicities monitoring and management in ambulatory oncology as well as the use of patient reported outcomes in survivorship care. Additionally, under the supervision of her primary faculty mentor Dr. Paulo Pinheiro, her research focused on examining disparities in incidence, survival, and mortality across various cancer sites amongst racial/ethnic minorities and special populations. Specifically, utilizing population-based, cancer registry surveillance methodology. Working with Dr. Moreno now during her postdoctoral training, she is excited to be able to find an intersection between her passion for cancer survivorship and epidemiology, while focusing on examining disparities in Hispanics and underrepresented populations such as individuals with metastatic disease and adolescents and young adults with cancer. During her spare time, Heidy enjoys going to the gym, exploring new beaches, finding new hole in the wall places in Miami and surrounding areas, and watching true crime documentaries.

Julia Meguro is a fourth-year student at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine's MD/MPH program. She graduated with a BS degree in Biochemistry and Nutrition with minors in Public Health and Chemistry from the University of Miami in 2020. While earning her undergraduate degree, Julia pursued research at the University of Miami's Neonatology Department and the Geography and Inequalities Lab. In addition to research, she is passionate about translating technical content to the public and education. Prior to entering medical school, Julia worked as an English teaching assistant at a vocational school in Spain and in digital marketing for a psychotherapy practice and an MCAT tutoring company. Currently, she is working on developing a capstone project for her MPH degree and is involved as the program director for the Human Rights Clinic of Miami and assistant public relations chair for the DOCS Ft. Lauderdale Health Fair. Julia is excited to be joining Dr. Moreno's lab to work on research that combines her interests relating to palliative care, oncology, and improving the health Hispanic/Latino communities. In her free time, Julia enjoys running and testing new recipes.

Julia Meguro, MD

Medical Student

Aidan Scagel is a fourth-year MD/MPH student at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He graduated from St.Lawrence University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Chemistry and African Studies. While earning his undergraduate degree, he volunteered with Hospice and extensively hiked the Adirondack Mountains. After college, he served in Peace Corps Ethiopia as a community health educator in the Woliata Zone, focusing on health behaviors related to water, hygiene, sanitation (WASH), care seeking, and malaria prevention. Before coming to Miami, he was involved in high school education and worked on a pandemic response project addressing PPE shortages. Currently, he is in the beginning stages of developing a public health capstone project and is involved with the Miami Rescue Mission DOCS clinic. His research interests include international health, health disparities in East Africa, informal caregiver support, and the health of people experiencing homelessness. When he has free time, you can find Aidan running around Miami training for a marathon or watching documentaries.

Aidan Scagel

Medical Student

Robert Sommer is a fifth-year graduate student in the Counseling Psychology Doctoral Program at the University of Miami. He graduated in 2017 from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a minor in Jazz Performance. Following his undergraduate education, Bob worked for three years as a clinical research coordinator at Massachusetts General Hospital. Throughout this time, he oversaw multiple research studies within the Cancer Center and worked closely with researchers from the Division of Palliative Care and the Department of Psychiatry. Bob now works with Dr. Lydia Buki and Dr. Patricia Moreno, focusing on areas such as patient-clinician communication and health literacy within oncology, as well as the impact of existential issues on survivorship. At the moment, he is also currently working on his dissertation which is focused on prognostic uncertainty in the era of precision oncology. He is excited to work with Dr. Moreno, specifically regarding her work on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and focus on how meaning, purpose, and other existential issues may impact quality of life in cancer survivors. In his free time, Bob loves to play the drums, watch soccer, and try new restaurants in Miami.

Robert K. Sommer

Graduate Student

Ashley Hatch is a second year PhD student in Prevention Science and Community Health at the University of Miami. She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in biological sciences and a minor in public health and the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) with her MPH in Epidemiology. Before coming to UM, Ashley served as a study coordinator at MUSC where she focused on cancer research through various research roles and received a diversity supplement with the National Cancer Institute for a mentored position in cancer control where she worked as a research assistant on evaluating referrals to lung cancer screening in people with HIV. She currently serves as the President of the Beta Sigma chapter of the Delta Omega Honorary Public Health Society at UM. Ashley hopes to continue to expand her impact through clinical research and community outreach. She is very excited to join Dr. Moreno’s lab where she can work on research that combines her interests in cancer prevention and control, tailored interventions, and reducing cancer disparities in underrepresented populations. During her free time, Ashley likes trying new restaurants, exploring the beaches, and spending time with her dog.

Ashley Hatch

Graduate Student

Ashley Sanchez is a first year PhD student in Prevention Science and Community Health at the University of Miami. She graduated with honors from Marquette University where she studied Biological Sciences and Spanish with a minor in Latinx Studies. As a student, she found her love for the field of public health and the opportunity to pursue community engaged cancer research. To further her education, Ashley went on to complete her MPH in Health Behavior at Brown University. She has previously supported public health initiatives focusing on cancer prevention, survivorship, and community-based health education. Before coming to the University of Miami, Ashley was an intern at the National Cancer Institute where she examined the role of cultural values on cancer outcomes in addition to waterpipe (hookah) use in the US. She was also a fellow at the CDC supporting the advancement of scientific initiatives involving the intersection of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and other behavior and public health priorities. Ashley is eager to join Dr. Moreno’s lab to examine how psychosocial factors influence outcomes across the cancer continuum, with the goal of reducing health disparities among Hispanic/Latino and other marginalized populations. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, reading, and catching up on her shows.

Ashley Sanchez

Graduate Student

Jiye Lee, PhD, CPNP-AC, is a postdoctoral scholar in the NCI-funded T32 Training to Reduce Burden across the Cancer Control Continuum (TRACC) program at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She earned her PhD in Nursing Science from the University of Miami and holds a BSN and MSN in Pediatric Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania, where she became a board-certified pediatric acute care nurse practitioner. Jiye’s research interests span a diverse range of cancer topics, including the psychosocial outcomes and needs of pediatric and young adult cancer survivors, the impact of non-medical drivers of health (such as neighborhood environment), longitudinal mental and behavioral health outcomes in cancer patients, and oncofertility challenges. Her doctoral work, supported by an NIH-funded F31 predoctoral NRSA fellowship, investigated the effect of neighborhood environment on child externalizing behavior. She also contributed to research on objective language measurement in preschool children and a nurse-led transition of care model for NICU graduates. In her free time, Jiye enjoys spending time with her family and traveling.

Jiye Lee PhD, MSN, CPNP-AC

Postdoctoral Scholar