University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center has recognized Gina Ogilvie, MD, MSc, FCFP, DrPH, with the Michael S. O’Malley Alumni Award for Publication Excellence in Cancer Population Sciences.
The award, which comes with a $3,000 prize, recognizes an outstanding publication by a graduate of the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health that advances knowledge in population-based cancer research.
Ogilvie was recognized for her team’s publication “Effect of Screening With Primary Cervical HPV Testing vs Cytology Testing on High-grade Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia at 48 Months: The HPV FOCAL Randomized Clinical Trial.” The paper was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The study compared cervical cancer screening with testing for the human papillomavirus versus using a pap smear to detect abnormal cells in cytology tests. The study found that HPV-based screening resulted in a lower likelihood of a woman developing a cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade three or worse by 48 months.
She was selected for the award from among 12 applications, which were received by a team of population science faculty leaders. The applications were judged based on the paper’s significance, impact and relevance to cancer research.
“Dr. Ogilvie’s important JAMA study advances the field of screening for cervical cancer,” said Kurt Ribisl, PhD, leader of the UNC Lineberger Cancer Prevention and Control Program and professor and chair in the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health Department of Health Behavior. “These findings, if replicated, have the potential to improve detection of this deadly cancer and change clinical practice. We are proud of this work and the impact of her work on the field of cancer control.”
Ogilvie received her doctorate in public health from UNC in 2012. Since 2015, she has worked as a professor at The University of British Columbia School of Population and Public Health. She is now the senior research advisor at B.C. Women’s Hospital & Health Centre and the senior public health scientist at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, among other roles. She received a master’s degree in clinical epidemiology at the University of British Columbia and a medical degree from McMaster University.
In her career, she’s worked in the field of control and prevention of sexually transmitted infections, including HPV vaccinations and cervical cancer. Her research has focused on application of evidence-based innovations in HPV vaccination and screening efforts.
This award honors Michael S. O’Malley, PhD, a leader in cancer prevention and control at UNC-Chapel Hill and across the nation. He served as the associate director of UNC Lineberger for more than 20 years. He also served as an adjunct associate professor of health policy and management at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, where he was a mentor for many students. O’Malley was known for his kindness and infectious smile, as well as for being an exceptional leader. Many knew him as a great “connector,” and he was beloved by everyone he connected with at Carolina.