The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute’s Office of Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) welcomes Ariel Washington, Ph.D., MSSW, to the faculty.
Dr. Washington is a pre-faculty fellow participating in the Pathway to Faculty (PTF) program at Wayne State University. She joins COE after completing a postdoctoral fellowship in the School of Nursing at the University of Michigan.
A Kentucky native, Dr. Washington received three degrees from the University of Louisville, capping off her academic journey with a Doctor of Philosophy in social work in 2020. Her research focused on culturally informed cervical cancer screenings and preventive health for African American women with the assistance of mobile technology.
Her road to cancer research started when Dr. Washington participated in a Cancer Research Education Program at the University of Louisville, funded by the National Cancer Institute. There, she was introduced to the concept of psychosocial research, social work and their impact on the experiences of lung cancer survivors.
COE's commitment to community, cancer survivors and health equity is why Dr. Washington decided to join the team at Karmanos.
“I have always believed in using community engagement in resolving issues related to health equity. From my first conversation with Dr. [Hayley] Thompson, I understood COE's commitment to community engagement. I want to work with marginalized communities and advance research that will make a difference in people’s lives,” explained Dr. Washington.
Dr. Washington completed a T32 postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan, where she studied human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine hesitancy among African American parents who had previously delayed or decided not to vaccinate their children. She presented her findings at the American Society of Preventive Oncology Conference in March 2022.
Dr. Washington’s work focuses on improving the cancer experience for marginalized communities. She looks forward to working with Cancer Action Councils and Project ACE (Advocates for Cancer Education). Project ACE is an online education session about HPV and the vaccine. Dr. Washington looks forward to incorporating what she has learned from her past research with HPV awareness and education in the community.