Grantee: Hui-Chun I. Su, MD, MSCE
Hui-Chun I. Su, MD, MSCE
- University of California - San Diego
Current Title
Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences
Describe your scientific identity.
I am a reproductive endocrinologist and epidemiologist conducting patient-oriented research on improving the reproductive health of young people with cancer.
What are your research interests?
Estimating reproductive risks related to cancer and cancer treatments; designing and testing interventions that improve reproductive health care delivery; studying the implementation of health policies; and evaluating novel biomarkers that predict ART outcomes.
What is the significance of your current research project?
Oncofertility care is the evidence-based practice of discussing reproductive risks with newly diagnosed cancer patients and supporting shared decision-making on fertility preservation treatments. We lack scalable tools to support consistent delivery of oncofertility care across different types of oncology care settings. Our goal is to test the extent to which electronic health record-based provider nudges and telehealth fertility and financial navigation services can result in oncofertility care that meets the needs of adolescents and young adults who are newly diagnosed with cancer. We will also study how well the intervention fits in these different care settings. The significance is in generating tools to reduce current inequities in access to oncofertility care.
What motivated you to work in health communication research?
We need strategies to communicate with providers and patients effectively. Toward learning how to deliver care more equitably, my team and I are motivated to use technology to facilitate communication for wider reach.
Describe something that had a profound influence on your program of research or scientific interests (an "ah-ha!" moment).
As a clinician scientist, I see barriers to patient access every day. My "ah-ha" moment was when I learned about implementation science as an approach to systematically learn about determinants of care access, in order to design interventions that fit and can be adapted to different contexts.
Selected training, awards, and honors:
- NCI Training Institute for Dissemination and Implementation Research in Cancer (TIDIRC) Facilitated Course
As a clinician scientist, I see barriers to patient access every day. My “ah-ha” moment was when I learned about implementation science… to design interventions that fit and can be adapted to different contexts.”