SUMMARY
Through his research and writing, Ewan K. Cobran, Ph.D., investigates the relationship between medically underserved populations, genomics, genetic literacy, communications between patients and health-care providers, and prostate cancer disparities and health equity. Specifically, his work focuses on three main lines of scientific inquiry:
- Applying community-based participatory research with an epidemiological approach to evaluating genomics, genetic literacy, awareness, and barriers and facilitators to implementation of prognostic genetic technology dissemination in African-American men and rural White men with localized prostate cancer
- Studying the impact of social determinants of health — socioeconomic status, literacy, nativity, social integration, community structure and quality of care — on prostate cancer prevention, barriers to treatment and treatment related outcomes
- Identifying connections between androgen deprivation therapy (ADT)-associated comorbid health conditions — diabetes, myocardial infarction and cardiovascular disease — and survival; analyzing whether these health conditions vary by race and ethnicity for men with advanced prostate cancer
Dr. Cobran's scholarship combines secondary data analysis — Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Cancer Registry, Medicare claims database, and private health insurance — with community-based participatory research and implementation of evidenced-based behavioral interventions.
Focus areas
- Prostate cancer disparities and translational research
- Genetic literacy and health communications
- Community-based participatory research approach
- Genomics and health equity
- Implementation and dissemination research
- Pharmacoepidemiology, comparative effectiveness and health services research
Significance to patient care
Dr. Cobran's research centers on eliminating prostate cancer disparities, increasing understanding of prognostic genetics, enhancing communication between patient and care provider, and improving genetic decisional support for men with localized prostate cancer.
Professional highlights
- National Cancer Institute Mentored Research Scientist Development Award, 2020-2025
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Harvard Medical School Research Methods in Supportive Oncology Scholar, 2020
- African-Caribbean Cancer Consortium, Inaugural Jonice A. Louden Young Investigator Award, 2019
- National Cancer Institute Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program, Summer Curriculum in Cancer Prevention and Control Molecular Prevention Scholar, 2019
- Center for Statistics in Medicine (CSM), Nuffield Department of Orthopedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS), Musculoskeletal Pharmaco- and Device Epidemiology Group, University of Oxford Summer Scholar in Real World Data Epidemiology, 2017
- National Cancer Institute Cancer Prevention Program, Summer Curriculum in Cancer Prevention and Control Scholar, 2017
- National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities Translational Health Disparities Scholar, 2015