WVU Cancer Institute launches Community Advisory Board to strengthen partnerships across state

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The WVU Cancer Institute has established a Community Advisory Board (CAB) to help align the Institute’s initiatives with the needs, priorities, and lived experiences of West Virginians.  

Launched in early 2025, the CAB serves as a critical bridge between Institute leadership and the unique communities it serves, ensuring that community voices shape strategic planning, research priorities, outreach, education, and engagement efforts.

The inaugural in-person meeting of the 16-member board in early April marked a significant milestone in the Institute’s commitment to foster collaborative, community-centered cancer care and research across the state.

“We have always believed our relationship with the community and their voice was important. As we explore the Institute’s journey to National Cancer Institute designation, a key component is formalizing that commitment to strengthen our ties with communities in our service area,” Hannah Hazard-Jenkins, M.D., executive chair and director of the WVU Cancer Institute, said. 

“One of the most exciting things about this process is the reciprocal relationships that will fuel our planning and foster the expansion of our community-based work. By listening to community member priorities and concerns, Institute administration, clinicians, and researchers can synergize our efforts to build the future of the Cancer Institute while staying grounded in our work close to home.”

Board members represent a wide range of backgrounds and expertise, including cancer survivors, patients, community advocates, faith-based leaders, local government representatives, non-profit organizations, and medical providers. Selected from across West Virginia, the Board reflects the geographic, socioeconomic, and distinctive experience of the state.

The board meets six times per year, allowing members to receive updates on the Institute’s cancer control initiatives, learn about new research, and contribute directly to program development and data dissemination strategies.  

Recent discussions have included Institute growth, statewide cancer burden data, innovative health communication strategies, and the Institute’s deepening commitment to reducing cancer incidence and mortality in West Virginia.

For more information, contact Mary Ellen Conn, director of community outreach for the WVU Department of Cancer Prevention and Control, at [email protected].

For more information about lung cancer treatments at the WVU Cancer Institute, visit WVUMedicine.org/Cancer.