A STFX professor received a research grant to look into colorectal cancer screening disparities.
STFX Interdisciplinary Health professor Dr. Arlinda Ruco received a Canadian Cancer Society Emerging Scholar Research Grant valued at over $594,000.
Dr. Arlinda Ruco (St. FX University photo)
Ruco explained it is a five-year grant, and they are hoping to do a number of things. In collaboration with the provincial colon cancer screening program, the first step in the research is a deep dive into the provincial data to try and understand who is screening in the province, the screening participation rates over the years, and to try and see if there are under-screened communities or populations where a better job can be done.
The workshop will be an opportunity to share the lessons learned during the research, and to do planning around next steps. She said it is a great opportunity to better understand why individuals may decide or not decide to screen. Ruco also said they are hoping to bring together a patient and community group that can help inform the different parts of the project, noting she is excited to get started.