OCOE Team

A group photo of the entire OCOE team

Leadership Team

Jason "Jay" Mendoza

Jason "Jay" Mendoza, MD, MPH

Director, OCOE

Dr. Mendoza's research uses innovative behavioral interventions and policies in schools, communities and clinical settings to eliminate inequities in childhood physical activity and nutrition outcomes disadvantaged populations.

Vida Henderson

Vida Henderson, PhD, PharmD

Associate Deputy Director, OCOE

Dr. Henderson focuses on preventive health services utilization as well as cancer prevention and early detection, particularly in underserved populations and high-risk communities. 

Katherine "Kathy" Briant

Katherine "Kathy" Briant, MPH

Assistant Director, OCOE

Throughout her career at Fred Hutch, Ms. Briant has served as a catalyst for cancer control planning and implementation in the Northwest Region as she and her staff have worked with organizations that reach medically underserved populations to help plan, implement, and evaluate effective and sustainable cancer control strategies. She currently works with the OCOE team to use a community-based participatory research approach to implement interventions that address issues around health disparities.

Research Team

Allison Cole

Allison Cole, MD, MPH

Program Lead, Rural Populations
Margaret “Peggy” Hannon

Margaret “Peggy” Hannon, PhD, MPH

Program Lead, Cancer Screening Activities

Dr. Hannon is the Director of the Health Promotion Research Center, a CDC-funded Prevention Research Center. Her research focuses on dissemination and implementation research, with an emphasis on cancer screening and workplace health promotion.

Jaimee Heffner

Jaimee Heffner, PhD

Program Lead, Urban Dwelling Populations

Dr. Jaimee Heffner is a clinical psychologist who researches tobacco-cessation interventions for populations who experience health disparities, including people with mental health conditions, low-income veterans, and sexual and gender minorities. Much of her work focuses on new behavioral treatments such as acceptance and commitment therapy and behavioral activation. She develops methods to deliver these interventions — such as websites, smartphone apps and other forms of technology — to improve the accessibility of treatment for all tobacco users. Her research interests also include implementation of tobacco-cessation interventions in the novel setting of lung cancer screening.

Yaw Nyame

Yaw Nyame, MD, MS, MBA

Program Lead, African American Populations

Dr. Nyame is Assistant Professor at the University of Washington, as well as a surgeon, researcher and patient advocate who specializes in urologic oncology and general urology.

Myra Parker

Myra Parker, JD, MPH, PhD

Program Lead, Indigenous Populations

Dr. Parker is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral  Sciences, and Director of Seven Directions: A Center for Indigenous Public Health, based within the Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, University of Washington.

Steve Schwartz

Steve Schwartz, PhD

Program Lead, Needs Assessment

Dr. Schwartz is a Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Washington. His research centers on genetic, lifestyle and environmental determinants of neoplasia and its sequelae.

David Doody, MS

David Doody, MS

Senior Statistical Analyst

Mr. Doody is a member of the Cancer Epidemiology Research Cooperative (CERC) within the Public Health Sciences division.

Kristen Hammerback

Kristen Hammerback

Research Scientist

Ms. Hammerback is a research scientist at the CDC-funded Health Promotion Research Center, within the School of Public Health at the University of Washington.

Elizabeth Carosso

Elizabeth Carosso

Research Project Manager

Ms. Carosso is a research project manager with the OCOE.

Jean McDougall, PhD, MPH

Jean McDougall, PhD, MPH

Staff Scientist

Community Health Education Team

Cithlali Chavez Mendoza

Community Health Educator, Urban Populations

Michaella Cobbinah

Community Health Educator, Black/African Descent Populations

Nora Gonzalez

Community Health Educator, Sunnyside Office

Genoveva Ibarra

Community Project Manager, Sunnyside Office

Jessica Lopez-Ramirez

Community Health Educator, Spokane Office

Margarita Olivera

Community Health Educator, Sunnyside Office

Daniel Padron, MPH

Community Health Educator, Spokane Office

Liz Tallent

Community Health Education Manager

Indigenous Cancer Health Equity Initiative Team

Craig Dee, MPH (c)

Diné
Project Manager, Indigenous Cancer Health Equity

Snowy Johnson, MPH

Apsáalooke, Kainai, & Flathead Salish
Community Health Educator, Indigenous Cancer Health Equity

Annavey Skenandore, MPH

Oneida/Oglala Lakota
Community Health Educator, Indigenous Cancer Health Equity

OCOE Admin & Support Team

Tina Burrows

Clinical Trials Navigator

Jamie Ersbak

Administrative Manager

Avigail Galvan

Project Coordinator

Sara McSorley

Project Coordinator

Solange Mecham

Clinical Research Coordinator

Patient Navigators

Learn more about Patient Navigator Services at Fred Hutch.

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Contact Us

We are available to talk about our research, engagement and outreach efforts and how we can support your work.

Mailing Address

The Office of Community Outreach and Engagement
1100 Fairview Ave. N.
Mail Stop M3-B232
Seattle, WA 98109