This summer, Natalia Babenko, MPH, a doctoral student in the School of Aging Studies, participated in the Cancer Epidemiology Education in Special Populations (CEESP) fellowship program, joining a distinguished group of public health professionals conducting cancer research both in the United States and abroad.
As part of the fellowship, Babenko studied how social relationships can help mitigate the mental health challenges of the 鈥渄ual role鈥� 鈥� navigating cancer survivorship while also caring for a family member. Her findings showed that strong reliance on family and partner support is linked to lower depressive symptoms among family caregivers with a history of cancer, underscoring the crucial role of social support in addressing the emotional impact of this experience.
Babenko was mentored throughout the fellowship by , assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the 国产短视频College of Public Health; William E. Haley, PhD, distinguished university professor in the School of Aging Studies; and , professor of oncology and medicine at 国产短视频and program leader of the Senior Adult Oncology Program at Moffitt Cancer Center.