Leaders

Frances Babcock, MT, CTR
Deputy Director, DCPC
Ms. Babcock brings with her expertise in cancer registration, surveillance, and CDC’s cancer programs. She has a background in the clinical and research laboratory as well as extensive experience in hospital-based and central cancer registry operations.

Vicki Benard, PhD
Chief, Cancer Surveillance Branch
Dr. Benard’s research focuses on cervical cancer and human papillomavirus (HPV). She leads an educational intervention study examining HPV co-testing in Federally Qualified Health Centers in the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program. Dr. Benard is also the lead for the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network.

Commander Djenaba A. Joseph, MD, MPH
Medical Director, Colorectal Cancer Control Program
Dr. Joseph is board certified in internal medicine and is a Commander in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service. She joined CDC as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer in DCPC from 2005 to 2007, and remained in DCPC as a medical officer.
 

Captain Jacqueline Miller, MD
Medical Director, National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program
Dr. Miller is a board-certified general surgeon and a Captain with the U.S. Public Health Service. She joined CDC as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer in the Division of Adult and Community Health from 2002 to 2004, and remained at CDC as a medical officer.

Mona Saraiya, MD, MPH
Team Lead, Health Services Research Team
Dr. Saraiya’s primary areas of focus are skin cancer epidemiology and cervical cancer screening. She is the Team Lead in DCPC’s Epidemiology and Applied Research Branch, which includes work related to increasing acceptability, capacity, and evaluation in countries to conduct non-cytology-based cervical cancer screening.

Judith Lee Smith, PhD
Team Lead, Behavioral and Applied Research Team
Dr. Smith’s research interests include investigating the behavioral, psychosocial, cultural, and system-level factors that impact cancer-related health disparities and cancer survivorship. Dr. Smith is a co-creator of AMIGAS, a bilingual educational intervention designed to increase cervical cancer screening Hispanic women who have rarely or never had a Pap test.

Sherri L. Stewart, PhD
Team Lead, Scientific Support and Clinical Translation Team
Dr. Stewart’s current research focus is primarily on the advancement of evidence-based interventions to reduce ovarian cancer morbidity and mortality, with a particular focus on improved survival from ovarian cancer. She is also very interested in the relationship of hormones and reproductive factors such as tubal ligation to ovarian cancer risk.

Hannah K. Weir, PhD, MSc
Team Lead, Epidemiology Team, Epidemiology and Applied Research Branch
Dr. Weir is a team lead in the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control’s Epidemiology and Applied Research Branch. Her research focus is primarily in the area of cancer surveillance, with a particular focus on population-based cancer survival.

Mary C. White, ScD, MFA
Chief, Epidemiology and Applied Research Branch
Dr. White has led the development, implementation, and translation of population-based health research at CDC for nearly three decades. In her current position as Chief of the Epidemiology and Applied Research Branch in CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Dr. White directs a program of applied research and science dissemination to support CDC programs and partners and address national priorities in cancer prevention and control.

Debra Younginer
Assistant Chief, Program Services Branch
Ms. Younginer manages the Program Services Branch’s personnel and workload while maintaining oversight of the branch budget. She also actively participates in setting the strategic direction of the branch and implementing branch priorities.