POWER Center Team
Survivor-centered scientists, advocates, and advisors
The POWER Center is comprised of an experienced and diverse team, consisting of a multi-disciplinary bench of social and behavioral researchers with PhD’s, DrPH’s and PharmD’s, bringing their expertise to drive innovation in patient insights and equity research.
Dr. Susan Jenkins, PhD
Evaluation Scientist • Health and human services researcher
Dr. Susan Jenkins is an experienced evaluator with extensive experience measuring what makes programs and policies effective, under which conditions, and for whom. She brings a cooperative, inclusive approach to evaluation, engaging diverse stakeholders throughout the entire lifecycle: from problem definition and design to data analysis and dissemination. Her ability to balance technical expertise with humility enables her to work productively with program staff, service recipients, policymakers, and budget officers, ensuring that each evaluation delivers actionable insights and value across all stakeholder groups. Dr. Jenkins earned her PhD from the University of Michigan and has held multiple roles as a contractor and in the federal government. Most recently, she served as Chief Evaluation Officer at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where she championed the use of evidence to improve health, public health, and human service programs. She has chaired national committees, led communities of practice, and served on the boards of professional evaluation associations. For more than 10 years, she has been an adjunct professor at American University teaching courses on public program monitoring and evaluation. She has been a breast cancer survivor for almost 20 years.
Dr. Susan Jenkins is an experienced evaluator with extensive experience measuring what makes programs and policies effective, under which conditions, and for whom. She brings a cooperative, inclusive approach to evaluation, engaging diverse stakeholders throughout the entire lifecycle: from problem definition and design to data analysis and dissemination. Her ability to balance technical expertise with humility enables her to work productively with program staff, service recipients, policymakers, and budget officers, ensuring that each evaluation delivers actionable insights and value across all stakeholder groups. Dr. Jenkins earned her PhD from the University of Michigan and has held multiple roles as a contractor and in the federal government. Most recently, she served as Chief Evaluation Officer at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where she championed the use of evidence to improve health, public health, and human service programs. She has chaired national committees, led communities of practice, and served on the boards of professional evaluation associations. For more than 10 years, she has been an adjunct professor at American University teaching courses on public program monitoring and evaluation. She has been a breast cancer survivor for almost 20 years.
Marita Coker, MS
Psychosocial research • Mental health equity • Community-driven design
Marita Elizabeth Coker, MA is a breast cancer advocate, researcher, and community leader with over 13 years of experience serving in roles from volunteer to ambassador, and now as Research and Program Coordinator at the Tigerlily Foundation. She earned her M.A. in Applied Developmental Psychology from George Mason University and will apply to Ph.D. programs in Implementation Science and Behavioral Health Sciences next fall. Her research focuses on advancing evidence-based, culturally competent interventions that improve advocacy and psychological well-being for female breast cancer patients, particularly young women of color.
Marita Elizabeth Coker, MA is a breast cancer advocate, researcher, and community leader with over 13 years of experience serving in roles from volunteer to ambassador, and now as Research and Program Coordinator at the Tigerlily Foundation. She earned her M.A. in Applied Developmental Psychology from George Mason University and will apply to Ph.D. programs in Implementation Science and Behavioral Health Sciences next fall. Her research focuses on advancing evidence-based, culturally competent interventions that improve advocacy and psychological well-being for female breast cancer patients, particularly young women of color.
Krista Peoples, MS, DrPH
Engagement • Survivorship intervention research
Dr. Krista Peoples serves as the Program Support Coordinator at Tigerlily Foundation, conducting qualitative and quantitative research with an aim to center patient voices and experiences. Her previous research has focused on the impact of the ACA on breast cancer screening for black women, obesity risks for African Americans based on energy intake/energy expenditure in rural Alabama and the metabolism of animal feed toxins from farm to fork. As the daughter of a breast cancer survivor, and a graduate of Tuskegee University twice over, she has witnessed firsthand the valid apprehension to seek care and mistrust for healthcare providers within diverse communities. She actively advocates for patient and community centered research through her work within the POWER Center.
Dr. Krista Peoples serves as the Program Support Coordinator at Tigerlily Foundation, conducting qualitative and quantitative research with an aim to center patient voices and experiences. Her previous research has focused on the impact of the ACA on breast cancer screening for black women, obesity risks for African Americans based on energy intake/energy expenditure in rural Alabama and the metabolism of animal feed toxins from farm to fork. As the daughter of a breast cancer survivor, and a graduate of Tuskegee University twice over, she has witnessed firsthand the valid apprehension to seek care and mistrust for healthcare providers within diverse communities. She actively advocates for patient and community centered research through her work within the POWER Center.
POWER Center Research Advisory Group
This multidisciplinary, collaborative body provides strategic guidance, scientific expertise, and community-informed insight to advance patient-centered and equity-driven breast cancer research.
Grounded in the guiding principle—Our Voices. Our Power. Our Lives.—the Advisory Group ensures that the lived experiences of patients, survivors, caregivers, and communities are meaningfully integrated into research priorities, study design, implementation, data analysis and interpretation, evaluation, and dissemination.
The Group supports Tigerlily’s mission to educate, advocate, empower, and support young women across the cancer continuum, with a particular focus on improving outcomes for underserved and historically marginalized populations.
Research Advisory Group Members
Alphabetical Listing
Monique Gary, DO, MSc, FACS, FSSO
Monique Gary, DO, MSc, FACS, FSSO currently serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Bexa, where she leads global clinical delivery, strategy and medical affairs for next-generation cancer screening and early detection solutions. Dr. Gary completed her surgical training at UMass and Georgetown University and is board-certified by the American Board of Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the Society of Surgical Oncology. She is a staff surgeon at St. Luke’s University Health Network, and Adjunct Associate Professor in the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice. Dr. Gary has held key consultative roles with Google Health, Eli Lily, Merck, Novartis, Gilead, Johnson & Johnson, Myriad Genetics, AstraZeneca and more, serving as a physician ambassador for global breast cancer campaigns.
Nadine A. Jackson MD, MPH
Dr. Nadine A. Jackson is a medical oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Her research focuses on improving cancer care delivery through patient-centered approaches and patient-reported outcomes, shared decision-making, genomic testing, and interventions addressing social determinants of health. She is dedicated to advancing health equity and improving care for older adults living with cancer.
Rebecca Jones PhD
Dr. Rebecca Jones serves as a Faculty Associate at the Institute for Health Promotion Research. With more than a decade of experience in program evaluation, research design, and statistical analysis, her work focuses on understanding how various health systems, social conditions, and structural factors influence health outcomes and contribute to health disparities.
Jazmine Lampkin BSN, RN - Angel Advocate
Jazmine Lampkin is a Community Health Nurse at Rush University Medical Center and a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) student at Rush University with a focus on population health. A Stage IV triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) thriver and passionate patient advocate, she is dedicated to advancing health equity and improving outcomes in underserved communities through research, education, and community engagement. Jazmine also serves as a Tigerlily Foundation ANGEL Advocate and mentor, supporting and empowering others affected by breast cancer. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys traveling and making memories with her husband and son.
Adana A. M. Llanos PhD, MPH
Dr. Adana A. M. Llanos is a tenured Associate Professor of Epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. A cancer and molecular epidemiologist and global health equity scholar, she studies how structural, social, environmental, and biological factors drive cancer disparities, with a focus on breast and cervical cancer outcomes among underserved populations in the US and abroad. She is Program Co-Leader of the Cancer Population Science Research Program at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Columbia and Co-Leader of the Breast Cancer Working Group of the African Caribbean Cancer Consortium (AC3).
Dale McElveen MBA - Angel Advocate
Dale McElveen is a 9-year breast cancer THRIVER committed to advancing equitable, patient-centered clinical research and improving access, representation, and clinical outcomes for underserved communities. She has moderated and been a
speaker/panelist on national panels focused on promoting clinical trials, health equity, and patient advocacy. She is a Tigerlily Foundation ANGEL Advocate, serves on the Board of Directors of the MedStar Health Research Institute (MHRI), is a member of One We Reach, and volunteers with Thrive Scholars. To strengthen her patient advocacy efforts, she earned Oncology Patient Navigator Certification. Professionally, Dale is a clinical research leader with more than 25 years of global clinical trial management experience at biopharma giants, including Schering-Plough (now Merck), Celgene, Amgen, and Takeda, across multiple therapeutic areas addressing unmet medical needs. Her operational expertise and leadership have contributed to global drug approvals in oncology, anti-infectives, and inflammation & immunology.
Yamilé Molina, PhD, MS, MPH
Dr. Yamilé Molina serves as the Associate Director for Community Outreach and Engagement at the University of Illinois Cancer Center. Their work is dedicated to advancing health equity among minority populations, rural communities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people living with chronic health conditions. Their research emphasizes community-engaged approaches that strengthen partnerships, address barriers to care, and improve cancer outcomes in underserved populations.
Bridget Oppong, MD, MPH
Dr. Bridget Oppong serves as an Associate Professor of Surgery and Surgical Oncologist at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. Her research focuses on breast cancer disparities, barriers of treatment accessibility, and strategies to improve care for underserved populations. She emphasizes improving outcomes through multidisciplinary treatment planning and coordinated supportive services for patients with breast cancer.
Kai Pollard, MS - Angel Advocate
Kai Pollard brings more than 20 years of oncology clinical research experience, along with the perspective of a cancer survivor, to her board service. After being diagnosed with stage III breast cancer, Kai experienced firsthand how overwhelming and inequitable cancer care can be. That journey transformed her into a passionate advocate for patient empowerment, access, and equity in precision medicine. Kai’s leadership is grounded in compassion, science, and a steadfast belief that every patient deserves to feel informed, supported, and seen.
Sonya Reid, MD, MPH
Dr. Sonya Reid serves as an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Her research focuses on breast cancer disparities, young-onset breast cancer, hereditary breast cancer, and genomic factors that may contribute to differences in survival outcomes among diverse ethnicities. She is committed to expanding participation in clinical trials, improving equitable access to cancer care, and advancing breast cancer research both in the United States and internationally.
Michelle S. Williams, PhD, MSPH
Dr. Michelle S. Williams is an Associate Professor in the Department of Global and Community Health at George Mason University. Her research centers on culturally responsive approaches to cancer prevention and control, community-based participatory research, and the reduction of cancer disparities among underserved populations. She has led cervical cancer prevention research in Ghana and currently directs projects that utilize mobile health technologies to improve cancer prevention and care on a global scale.
Katharine A. Yao, MD
Dr. Katharine A. Yao is a surgical oncologist and Clinical Professor affiliated with The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. Her expertise includes breast cancer treatment/surgery, breast cancer risk assessment, and hereditary cancer prevention. Her work focuses on improving breast cancer biology understanding and enhancing care for patients at increased risk of cancer.
In addition to its team members, the Power Center has an extended network of close collaborators including academic institutions, advocacy partners, and other patient insight organizations.
Extended Community
Tigerlily’s anchor program reaches communities nationwide, with a focus on vulnerable communities. Our ANGEL Advocate program recruited 400 ANGEL Advocates in 2023, reaching 2.2 M people in their communities. This extended network as well as those of our community partners give us unparalleled direct reach into trusted populations and authentic perspectives.