James Kinchen

What inspired you to study public health?

As a childhood cancer survivor, I have always wanted to be involved in the search for a cure but I never really knew exactly how I would achieve this goal. I knew direct patient care wasn’t for me, so when I discovered public health, I immediately knew I had found my path. Public health lays a groundwork for continued improvement of treatment and survival of cancer and helps translate research into interventions that improve the health of vulnerable groups.

What has been the single most rewarding experience of your career/studies so far?

Having the opportunity to be a part of advancing the knowledge of the influences childhood cancer survivors face on their health outside of treatment through my practicum experience.

Where did you do your practicum? What was it about?

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Control; I worked on a project exploring the influence of neighborhood deprivation on health behaviors among survivors of childhood cancer enrolled in the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort Study.

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