A team built for the long work of closing the gap.

Dr. Akinyemiju is a social and molecular cancer epidemiologist with expertise in epidemiologic methods, translational research, health disparities and global health. Her research interests focus on identifying the impact of social (such as access to healthcare) and biological factors (such as metabolic dysregulation), on cancer related risk, tumor aggressiveness and survival. She has a specific interest in understanding the causes of cancer disparities among women of African descent in the US and sub-Saharan Africa, given their significantly higher risk of aggressive cancer subtypes relative to other racial groups.

Dr. Deveaux earned a BS in Clinical Laboratory Science and an MD from UNC Chapel Hill, along with a PhD in Genetics from Howard University. After graduating from medical school in 2015, she returned to the lab and completed a post-doctoral program. A molecular geneticist by training, April's research focuses on cancer health disparities, specifically on the molecular mechanisms in prostate and lung cancers. Her work at Population Health will probe the role that social determinants of health play in the biology of cancer disparities.

Dr. Oyomoare Osazuwa-Peters is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine with the REGAL research team. She completed her PhD in Biology (2015) and an MS in Genetic Epidemiology (2018). Her research interest is in the intersection of biology, molecular cancer epidemiology, and social epidemiology, with a specific focus on investigating the interplay between biological characteristics and social factors as underlying drivers of cancer-related disparities using “multi-omics” approaches. Dr. Osazuwa-Peters is passionate about applying her quantitative skills to increase knowledge that is fundamental to informing interventions to mitigate health disparities.

Ashwini Joshi, M.P.H. is a Research Program Leader and operational strategist with extensive experience leading complex, multi-site research initiatives focused on cancer disparities, health equity, and population health. She oversees program operations, scientific infrastructure, stakeholder engagement, workforce development, and multidisciplinary research teams working to reduce the global burden of cancer and advance equitable health outcomes. With expertise in research administration, grant management, regulatory oversight, protocol development, and team leadership, Ashwini has successfully managed large-scale initiatives supported by federal and foundation funding. She is passionate about building the systems, partnerships, and talent that accelerate scientific discovery, strengthen research capacity, and translate research into meaningful impact for underserved populations.

Dr. Green is a Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Population Health Sciences. He earned his PhD in Social and Public Health Sciences through a doctoral training fellowship from Scotland's Chief Scientist Office at the University of Glasgow. He has expertise in social and life course epidemiology and in advanced quantitative analyses. His research career has focused on understanding and alleviating disparities in health (e.g. by race/ethnicity or socioeconomic position) via quantitative analysis of observational data, including surveys, administrative and EHR data. His current work focuses on racial and ethnic disparities in the development, treatment and care of cancer.

Yang Wang serves as the Senior Program Coordinator for REGAL, where she supports program operations, stakeholder coordination, and research infrastructure development. With a background in epidemiology, global health, and environmental health, Yang brings extensive experience in academic program management, financial coordination, data-driven process improvement, and cross-functional collaboration. She is passionate about advancing health equity and strengthening the operational systems that enable impactful cancer disparities research.

Veronica is a clinical research coordinator who has been with Duke since 2021. Prior to joining the REGAL team, she was a clinical research coordinator in the Cancer Control and Population Sciences Department. Veronica earned a Bachelor of Science in Natural Science at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and her Master of Science in Public Health at Capella University. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Public Health to continue her work in research and public service on a macro level. Veronica is committed to research that focuses on cancer disparities affecting diverse and underserved communities.

Drew is a biostatistician who graduated with a Bachelors in Mathematics from the University of Waterloo and an M.Sc. in Statistics from the University of Guelph. He spent six years in the pharmaceutical industry as a statistical consultant and machine learning researcher before joining Duke in 2023. He is currently applying his expertise in statistics and machine learning in oncology with the REGAL team and the Duke Cancer Institute.

Bio coming soon.

Dr. Byemerwa is a post-doctoral associate in Dr. Tomi Akinyemiju's lab, where her role is to investigate biological and societal risk factors that contribute to breast cancer and breast cancer outcomes among women of African descent. She joins the team with extensive basic biology knowledge of breast cancer, which she gained during her dissertation work on understanding how female reproductive hormones, especially estrogens, modulate the immune microenvironment during breast cancer metastasis. Dr. Byemerwa earned her bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Brown University and her PhD in Pharmacology and Cancer Biology from Duke University.

Dr. Quezada is a Sr. Research Associate in the Department of Population Health Sciences. He completed his medical studies and a specialization in health administration at Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in Peru and his master's and PhD in clinical epidemiology at Erasmus University Rotterdam in The Netherlands. His research focused on cancer epidemiology, health disparities in the U.S. context, social determinants of health, and big data analytics.

Andrea is a PhD student in the Department of Population Health Sciences (DPHS), Duke University School of Medicine and PhD student researcher with REGAL. As a bilingual and bicultural researcher, Andrea is passionate about improving Latine health equity in the US and globally. Her work aims to reduce health inequities by generating and translating community-engaged evidence to change policy and clinical practice while centering community perspectives in research and scholarship. Andrea holds a Master in Public Policy from Georgetown University, an MSc in Health Policy, Planning and Financing from the London School of Economics and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and a BA in Community Health and International Relations from Tufts University.