Current Role at Stanford


Hello, thank you for connecting with me through my profile. At the Stanford Cancer Institute, my work focuses on reducing the burdens of cancer and promoting health equity through cancer control programs and research. As Program Director for Community Research and Capacity-Building, I'm responsible for leading efforts that enhance collaborations, community health planning, and program/project delivery with community and research partnerships. I also manage the operations of the cancer clinical trials information service and outreach activities that seeks to enhance knowledge and foster inclusive community access to cancer research.

Education & Certifications


  • Ph.D., Lancaster University, Public Health

All Publications


  • Community Outreach and Engagement at U.S. Cancer Centers: Notes from the Third Cancer Center Community Impact Forum Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev AE, L., HM, B., KJ, B., G, C., K, E., ET, G., CE, G., G, H., PC, H., A, I., R, M., RJ, M., JE, S., Y, S., Z, S., JA, T., ST, V., RC, V., ED, P., et al 2023; 32 (12)
  • Melanoma awareness and prevention among latinx and non-latinx white adults in urban and rural California: A qualitative exploration. Cancer medicine Mesia, R. J., Espinosa, P. R., Hutchison, H., Safaeinili, N., Finster, L. J., Muralidharan, V., Glenn, B. A., Haile, R. W., Rosas, L. G., Swetter, S. M. 2022

    Abstract

    Melanoma mortality rates in the US are highest among older men, individuals of lower socioeconomic status (SES), and people of color. To better understand these inequities, a qualitative exploratory study was conducted in Northern and Southern California to generate knowledge about barriers and facilitators of awareness, prevention, and early detection of melanoma in lower SES Latinx and non-Latinx White (NLW) individuals living in urban and semi-rural areas.Nineteen focus groups were conducted (N = 176 adult participants), stratified by race/ethnicity (Latinx, low-income NLW), geography (semi-rural, urban), and language (English and Spanish). Inductive and deductive thematic analysis was conducted, and the findings were organized using the socioecological model framework: individual, interpersonal, community, and health system/policy levels.Four socioecological themes describe how key factors affect knowledge, perceived risk, preventive behaviors, and melanoma screening. Individual level findings revealed that many participants were not familiar with melanoma, yet were willing to learn through trusted sources. Having brown or darker skin tone was perceived as being associated with lower risk for skin cancer. Interpersonally, social relationships were important influences for skin cancer prevention practice. However, for several Latinx and semi-rural participants, conversations about melanoma prevention did not occur with family and peers. At the community level, semi-rural participants reported distance or lack of transportation to a clinic as challenges for accessing dermatology care. Healthcare systems barriers included burdens of additional healthcare costs for dermatology visits and obtaining referral.Varying factors influence the awareness levels, beliefs, and behaviors associated with knowledge, prevention, and early detection of melanoma among low-income Latinx and NLW individuals and in semi-rural areas. Results have implications for health education interventions. Navigation strategies that target individuals, families, and health care settings can promote improved prevention and early detection of melanoma in these communities.

    View details for DOI 10.1002/cam4.5457

    View details for PubMedID 36433634

  • Development of a Mobile Health App (TOGETHERCare) to Reduce Cancer Care Partner Burden: Product Design Study JMIR Formative Research Oakley-Girvan, I., Davis, S. W., Kurian, A. W., Rosas, L. G., Daniels, J., Palesh, O. G., Mesia, R. J., Kamal, A. H., Longmire, M., Divi, V. 2021; 5 (8)

    View details for DOI 10.2196/22608

  • Pathways of cancer care burdens: the experiences of Asian American immigrant cancer patients and their family carers Mesia, R. J. Lancaster University. 2019 283

    Abstract

    Background: The burden of cancer embodies the lived experiences and perspectives of people who have dealt with the challenges and difficulties of cancer. The landscape of cancer care in the United States has transitioned to a predominantly outpatient care system, so cancer care has become increasingly burdensome on the patient and family. Aim: The thesis describes the cancer care burden experiences of Chinese, Filipino and Indian American cancer-diagnosed immigrants and their family carers as well as explores the factors associated with their cancer care burdens. Method: Interpretivist and constructivist qualitative approaches were used to gather and analyse data from 9 cancer-diagnosed individuals and 9 family carers. Purposive and snowball sampling methods were employed. A semi-structured interview format was used for data collection. Results: The analysis generated three main themes that reflect cancer care burden experiences of the sample population: psychosocial burdens, burdens related to healthcare, and competing priorities. Several factors related to social, economic, cultural, and institutional context were found to have a relationship with the cancer care burdens. Conclusion: The findings illustrate that Asian American immigrant families deal with complex and multifaceted cancer care burdens that are connected to the social, economic and cultural conditions that shape their lives. Insight from the thesis is a critical first step for understanding the pathways of cancer care burdens amongst immigrant families.

  • Incorporating cultural values and use of technology platforms may help outreach Asian Americans in cancer clinical trial participation International Journal of Healthcare Sun, A., Dang, J., Cuaresma, C., Valdez-Dadia, A., Mesia, R., Lo, P., Chow, E., Nguyen, T., Chen, Jr., M. 2018; 4 (2)

    View details for DOI 10.5430/ijh.v4n2p34

  • The Cancer Information Service: Using CBPR in Building Community Capacity JOURNAL OF CANCER EDUCATION Davis, S. W., Cassel, K., Moseley, M. A., Mesia, R., De Herrera, P. A., Kornfeld, J., Perocchia, R. 2011; 26 (1): 51-57

    Abstract

    The National Cancer Institute's (NCIs) Cancer Information Service (CIS) Partnership Program followed many of the key principles of community-based participatory research in providing technical assistance to partner organizations. Using five case studies, this article describes how the CIS Partnership Program served to identify community needs and leaders, bringing resources together to build capacity and increase knowledge, and facilitate further dissemination of findings. CIS Partnership Program staff transcended the traditional health education role by building the capacity of community partners to bring cancer information in culturally appropriate ways to their own communities. The lessons learned by the CIS Partnership Program are useful for both academics and service organizations that would benefit from working with medically underserved communities.

    View details for DOI 10.1007/s13187-010-0159-x

    View details for Web of Science ID 000287502900009

    View details for PubMedID 20872106