Meet The Team

Principal Investigator, Duke University

Dr. Tomi Akinyemiju, MS, PHD

Dr. Akinyemiju is a social and molecular cancer epidemiologist who studies how social factors like healthcare access and biological factors like metabolic dysregulation affect cancer risk, tumor aggressiveness, and survival. She specializes in understanding cancer disparities among women of African descent in the US and sub-Saharan Africa, who face significantly higher risks of aggressive cancer subtypes. Learn more

Postdoctoral Associate

Jovita Byemerwa, PHD

Dr. Byemerwa is studying biological and societal factors affecting breast cancer outcomes in women of African descent. Her expertise stems from her PhD research on reproductive hormones and the immune microenvironment in breast cancer metastasis. She holds a BA in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Brown University and a PhD in Pharmacology and Cancer Biology from Duke University.

Medical Instructor, Duke University

Dr. April Deveaux 

Dr. Deveaux holds a BS and MD from UNC Chapel Hill and a PhD in Genetics from Howard. A molecular geneticist, her research explores cancer health disparities, focusing on prostate and lung cancers. At Population Health, she studies how social determinants influence cancer biology. Learn more

Research Program Leader

Ashwini Joshi, MPH

​Ms. Joshi holds an MPH in Epidemiology from UT Health Science Center at Houston and specializes in improving healthcare quality and access. Since 2020, she has led the REGAL Program at Duke’s Department of Population Health Sciences, managing operations and conducting health disparities research using her expertise in data analysis, research protocols, and grant writing.

Clinical Research Coordinator

Veronica Duck

Veronica, a clinical research coordinator at Duke since 2021, previously worked in Cancer Control and Population Sciences before joining the REGAL team. She holds a BS in Natural Science and an MS in Public Health, and is pursuing a Doctor of Public Health to deepen her research on cancer disparities in underserved communities.

Biostatician

Dr. Yan Li

I'm a Biostatistician III at Duke Cancer Institute since February 2023, with 15 years of experience in statistical analysis, modeling, and decision science. I hold a PhD from Virginia Tech and completed postdoctoral training at UC Davis and Penn State. I've led 20 research projects, authored 20 publications, mentored graduate students, and now collaborate on clinical trials, cancer research, and healthcare disparities.

Biostatician

Drew Neish

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.

Assistant Professor

Oyomoare Osazuwa-Peters, MD, PHD

Dr. Oyomoare Osazuwa-Peters holds a PhD in Biology and an MS in Genetic Epidemiology. Her research bridges biology, molecular and social epidemiology to explore how biological traits and social factors drive cancer disparities using multi-omics approaches. She aims to inform interventions and deepen understanding of molecular heterogeneity in cancer outcomes at the population level. Learn more

Postdoctoral Associate

Hugo G. Quezada-Pinedo, MD, MSc, PhD

Dr. Quezada completed his medical studies and specialization in health administration at Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in Peru, followed by his master's and PhD in clinical epidemiology at Erasmus University Rotterdam in The Netherlands. His research focuses on cancer epidemiology, health disparities in the U.S. context, social determinants of health, and big data analytics.

PhD Student

Andrea Thoumi

Andrea is a PhD student in Population Health Sciences at Duke and a REGAL researcher focused on advancing Latine health equity. As a bilingual, bicultural scholar, she centers community perspectives to inform policy and practice through engaged research. She holds degrees from Georgetown (MPP), LSE and LSHTM (MSc), and Tufts (BA).

Senior Program Coordinator

Rose Volponi

Rose Volponi joined Duke Population Health Sciences in 2024 as Senior Program Coordinator for REGAL, bringing 20 years of experience in early childhood education and nonprofit management, including 14 years in leadership. She led a nonprofit from launch to closure, working with Duke faculty, students, and international families. Rose is passionate about supporting REGAL’s mission to address global cancer disparities and ensure smooth program operations.