PhD, MPH
Assistant Professor, Epidemiology
Gillings School of Global Public Health
UNC-Chapel Hill
Cancer Epidemiology
Area of Interest
I am interested in developing an integrated understanding of how lived experience, accessing care, mental health and disease characteristics affect cancer outcomes. I am committed to meaningful research efforts focused on sustainable health equity that incorporates the history and context of subpopulations to address the unique challenges that lead to health disparities.
Selected Publications
- Banegas MP, Emerson MA, Adams AS, Achacoso N, Chawla N, Alexeeff SE, et al. Patterns of medication adherence in a multi-ethnic cohort of prevalent statin users diagnosed with breast, prostate or colorectal cancer. J Cancer Surviv. 2018;12:794-802
- Emerson MA, Banegas MP, Chawla N, Achacoso N, Alexeeff SE, Adams AS, Habel LA. Disparities in Prostate, Lung, Breast, and Colorectal Cancer Survival and Comorbidity Status among Urban American Indians and Alaskan Natives. Cancer Res. 2017;77:6770-6
- Quach CW, Langer MM, Chen RC, Thissen D, Usinger DS, Emerson MA, Reeve BB. Reliability and validity of PROMIS measures administered by telephone interview in a longitudinal localized prostate cancer study. Qual Life Res. 2016;25:2811-23
News and Stories
Approaching epidemiology with empathy
UNC Lineberger's Marc Emerson, PhD, shares how his experiences growing up in Navajo Nation guide his research on health equity in American Indian and Alaskan Native communities.
Intervention reduces disparities in timing of lung cancer surgery between Black and white patients
Marjory Charlot, MD, MPH, MSc, and colleagues report that a detailed analysis of intervention trials designed to address racial inequalities in timing from diagnosis to surgery for lung cancer showed a multi-faceted intervention resulted in timelier lung cancer surgery for Black patients.
American Indian, Alaska Native women less likely to start and complete hormone therapy for breast cancer
The study by Marc Emerson, PhD, MPH, et al. is believed to be the first to look at the hormone therapy regimens of American Indian and Alaska Native women with breast cancer.
Study: Black women with breast cancer experience delayed, longer treatment than whites
One in seven black women with breast cancer had delays in starting treatment according to a study led by UNC Lineberger researchers Melissa Troester, PhD, and Marc Emerson, PhD.
