Pat Lee

Pat is a breast cancer survivor and passionate advocate for cancer prevention and early detection. As a Patient Navigator for Cancer Justice Network, she connects underserved community members with health resources while removing access barriers. She has organized two annual cancer health events at Greater New Hope Missionary Baptist Church for many years, bringing together screenings and expert presentations from physicians and researchers. Her deep community involvement extends further through her leadership of God's Favor, a nonprofit mobile meals ministry, and her "Dine on a Dime" class for financially challenged community members.

Sarah Nazzal

Sarah is a member of the Waltz Cancer Biology Lab and Trainee Outreach Volunteer Program at the Cancer Center, and a 2025 Cancer Research Scholars Program alum. She volunteers monthly at community outreach events, where she engages residents, leads student volunteers, administers lung cancer pre-screenings, and tracks data metrics. She has also represented the Cancer Center at High School and Elementary Career Fairs to inspire the next generation of researchers and healthcare professionals. Sarah brings the same dedication to her weekly lab work, and continually seeks new ways to deepen her impact including reviewing outreach materials, suggesting partnerships, and helping train new volunteers.

Angela Dionisio, MS

Angela recognized a critical gap in care for laryngeal cancer survivors. Patients who undergo a total laryngectomy often rely on peer mentors, fellow survivors who meet with them before surgery to offer guidance and hope. Many of these mentors, however, faced transportation and financial barriers that limited their ability to participate. Angela championed a solution by partnering with the UC survivorship team to secure gas cards for mentors, expanding the mentor network and empowering more survivors to pay it forward. The impact has been profound: many mentors have gone on to join the national Survivor Journeys program, and lasting friendships have formed among those who share this life-changing experience.

Rebecca "Becky" Lee, PhD

Dr. Rebecca Lee is leading groundbreaking research to better understand how rural Appalachian residents of Adams and Brown Counties approach cancer care, from prevention and screening to treatment and survivorship. Rather than studying the community from a distance, Dr. Lee has embedded herself within it, building a Community-Academic Partnership that includes both UC faculty and local members, one of whom serves on her research team as project manager, to guide the research from design through dissemination. The trust she has earned is evident: community members have not only volunteered for her qualitative study, but have brought their families along to share their experiences. Her long-term goal is to use these insights, shared back with the community through open conversations, to co-design culturally tailored cancer interventions that reflect the community's own needs and values.

Catherine "Cat" Behrmann

Cat is a pioneering research scientist whose work is advancing the fight against Glioblastoma and other cancers at UC. She has established cutting-edge high-throughput imaging systems and organoid model platforms that are now used by investigators across multiple cancer types, including pancreatic and lung. Her current work screens experimental therapeutics using patient-donated tumor cells, combining tumor suppression analysis with immune function, an approach with significant breakthrough potential. Cat was also lead author on a paper published in the AACR journal Cancer Research Communications, reporting a meaningful advance in Glioblastoma targeting strategies. Beyond the lab, she engages directly with the Glioblastoma patient community, participates annually in the Walk Ahead fundraiser, and presents her research at the Brain Tumor Center Symposium alongside patient and caregiver attendees. In December 2025, Cat marked her 800th experiment as a cancer researcher, a testament to her extraordinary dedication.