My name is Carina Gregorio; I graduated from California State University Los Angeles in the Fall of 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration degree. I am an aspiring Epidemiologist, and I will attend UCLA Master’s in Public Health in Epidemiology program in the Fall of 2023. My research interests include cancer and respiratory health.
Why I focus on Ovarian and Uterine Cancer Prevention Research
Growing up, I witnessed only my Filipino relatives, and not my Italian ones, passing away from cancer and other diseases. I often wondered why Filipino Americans are disproportionately affected by diseases and had shorter life expectancy. I also saw the difficulties both sides of my family experienced accessing healthcare. My Italian grandmother immigrated to the U.S. over 50 years ago and often had difficulty going to the doctor because of language and transportation barriers. As a result, I have become her caretaker and often facilitated communication between her and her primary physician. I have firsthand experience with socioeconomic, racial, language, health-literacy and transportation barriers immigrant women face.
Impact of taboos on healthcare access
I am currently doing a public-health-research internship at MiOra and I am learning about ovarian and uterine cancer. My team members and I are currently doing ovarian and uterine cancer research. Before starting the internship at MiOra, I didn’t know that ovarian cancer diagnosis is often delayed. This is because the symptoms mimic those of gastrointestinal discomfort and indigestion. Therefore, women need to attend routine health visits and talk to their doctor or nurse regularly. Despite cultural barriers, they need to share their complaints of the reproductive system. MiOra is studying the disparities in women’s health and bringing solutions. While doing this, MiOra is educating students like me and creating opportunities to do research and help close the disparities.
At MiOra, I learned the steps of cancer public health research from the very beginning; I conducted literature review, developed a study plan, consent forms, survey tools, and an IRB application together with my team members. Once the study is completed, I will be working on a poster and a manuscript. I am very grateful for the hands-on research experience because it gave me a better understanding of how to measure the gaps in health inequity, how we can collect that data and what we can do with it. With this knowledge, I will be able to help support my community. I will educate my community and connect them to resources. My goal is to increase the community’s awareness on early screening, diagnosis, treatment of ovarian and uterine cancers and importance of participating in clinical trials. I want to help improve the overall health of the community. The internship at MiOra has also sparked my interest in cancer prevention research. I am excited about starting UCLA graduate school and continuing to do research in cancer prevention.
Carina Gregorio is a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology Student, California State University, Los Angeles
