MD, MPH
Robert A. Ingram Distinguished Professor of Medicine
Director, Carolina Cancer Screening Initiative
UNC-Chapel Hill
Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program
Area of Interest
I am a general internist and clinician researcher focused on improving screening and early detection of cancer. Over the past 15 years, I have led a collaborative research program aimed at strengthening the evidence, delivery, and decision‑making surrounding cancer screening in clinical and public health practice. My work and interests span three main areas.
First, I study how to improve the delivery of established, effective cancer screening tests in populations where they are underused. This includes pragmatic randomized trials and implementation studies of cancer screening outreach, patient navigation, and other strategies designed to increase screening uptake and timely follow‑up in larger health systems, community health centers, and other contexts. Much of this work aims to reduce disparities and improve screening outcomes for underserved populations.
Second, I study how patients, clinicians, and policymakers understand and weigh the tradeoffs between the benefits and harms of cancer screening. This includes research on decision support tools, shared decision‑making, risk communication, and the role of values and preferences in screening decisions. Through this work, I aim to help ensure that screening decisions are informed, aligned with patient priorities, and guided by a balanced understanding of potential outcomes.
Third, more recent work has focused on emerging cancer screening technologies. Several UNC Lineberger colleagues and I are part of a national effort through the NCI’s Cancer Screening Research Network (CSRN) to evaluate new screening approaches such as multicancer detection assays. These blood‑based tests have the potential to identify multiple cancers at earlier stages, but their performance, clinical pathways, and population‑level impact are not yet well understood. Our work in the CSRN Vanguard Study is helping to generate the evidence needed to understand how these tests perform in diverse health systems, how abnormal results should be evaluated, and how they might fit into future cancer screening strategies.
Awards and Honors
- Member, North Carolina Advisory Committee on Cancer Coordination and Control, a state‑appointed advisory body (2021–present)
- Robert A. Ingram Distinguished Professorship, UNC School of Medicine (2024–present)
- Founder and Director, Carolina Cancer Screening Initiative, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center (2016-present)
- Member, CEO Roundtable on Cancer, a national consortium focused on advancing cancer prevention and early detection (2021–present)
- Recipient, American Cancer Society Cancer Control Career Development Award (CCCDA) for Primary Care Physicians, 2009–2012
News and Stories
UNC study shows strong patient response to at-home colorectal cancer screening
A new analysis of clinical trial data led by Anisha P. Ganguly, MD, MPH, has proven that mailed fecal immunochemical tests can drastically increase colorectal cancer screening by 18% across multiple racial/ethnic groups.
Digital health outreach improves lung cancer screening
A new multi-site study has demonstrated that a direct-to-patient digital health program can significantly increase recommended lung cancer screening for high-risk individuals.
