Samantha Hanley, a third-year medical student at Upstate Medical University, has received the 2023 Alpha Omega Alpha (AΩA) Carolyn Kuckein Research Fellowship Award for her project aimed at identifying the causes of regional human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV) hesitancy in central New York.

Her work has the potential to directly inform interventions to improve vaccination rates. The award provides $6,000 in support for the project and travel related to presentations of her work.

According to the CDC, "HPV is responsible for more than 90 percent of anal and cervical cancers, 70 percent of vaginal and vulvar cancers, 60 percent of penile cancers, and 60-70 percent of cancers of the oropharynx."

While many people are aware of the association with cervical cancer, the significant risk for head and neck cancer and other cancers is often overlooked. The CDC emphasizes that "improvements in HPV vaccination coverage are crucial to lowering rates of HPV-attributable cancers in the United States."

Historically, HPV vaccination coverage has been lower compared to most other routine vaccines. Hanley is working to identify the reasons behind this lower uptake. Over the past three years, she has collaborated with her mentor, Jana Shaw, MD, professor of pediatrics specializing in infectious diseases and a national expert in vaccine hesitancy, on several related research projects. Hanley describes their longitudinal relationship as "incredibly valuable" and considers herself fortunate to have Shaw as her mentor. Their collaborative work has already led to several publications and abstracts. Shaw describes Hanley as a "capable and productive research partner."

Prior to medical school, Hanley worked for four years as a clinical research coordinator in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. During the summer between her first and second year of medical school, she completed a Public Health Data and Informatics Fellowship at CDC in its Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Sciences.

"The AΩA Student Research Fellowship is an extremely competitive award, requiring review by both a campus Award Committee and a national committee,” said Lynn Cleary, MD, Upstate vice president for academic affairs and Upstate's AΩA faculty councilor. “Samantha's project is important and well-designed. We knew she was a great candidate for the award, and obviously, the national committee thought so too.”

Caption: Samantha Hanley, winner of the Alpha Omega Alpha (AΩA) Carolyn Kuckein Research Fellowship Award, center, with mentor Jana Shaw, MD, professor of pediatrics, right, and Lynn Cleary, MD, Upstate vice president for academic affairs and Upstate's AΩA faculty councilor.