Guest Speaker Bio - Dr. Grace Ma
Grace X. Ma, Ph.D. is a tenured full Professor in the Department of Public Health and Director of Center for Asian Health, College of Health Professions at Temple University. As a behavioral health scientist, Dr. Ma's research focuses on community-based participatory intervention research (CBPR), early detection, patient navigation of Hepatitis B, cancers and chronic illnesses, smoking cessation, access and quality of healthcare in medically underserved, uninsured and high-risk Asian American populations. In 2000, Dr. Ma founded the Center for Asian Health, one of the first in the nation dedicated to reducing cancer and other health disparities among Asian Americans. Dr. Ma in partnership with Asian community leaders co-founded the first Asian Community Health Coalition (ACHC) in the Eastern region of the U.S., including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York City and Washington DC areas. Over the past decade, Dr. Ma has received over 54 grant awards from various sources, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to conduct research in her expertise areas. Dr. Ma's research collaboration extends to the Southeast and Southwest regions of China. This international component of her research focuses on longitudinal studies of tobacco and cancer control in China. Dr. Ma has authored and co-authored 5 books, over 110 peer-reviewed publications and delivered over 450 professional presentations at regional, national and international conferences. The impacts of these publications and presentations are reflected in public health academic teaching and mentorship, research and practices, as well as in Asian and minority health care policies and programs in the United States.
Dr. Ma has taught graduate courses in public health, substance abuse and addiction, research methods, and behavioral health interventions, among others. Dr. Ma has trained and mentored over 115 junior researchers. Among them, 22 post-doctoral fellows/junior faculty; 51 pre-doctoral and doctoral fellows in dissertations; 30 masters fellows in theses and interns.
Dr. Ma has served on numerous scientific advisory boards in cancer, Hepatitis B, tobacco control, diabetes and other chronic disease issues. She has also served on national, state and community health advisory boards. She is an active member of numerous public health professional associations, journal editorial boards, national and statewide tobacco and cancer control plans. Dr. Ma, a nationally and internationally recognized scholar has received numerous distinguished awards from academic institutions, scientific associations, and NIH and community organizations that include 2010 Partnership Award by Nanjing Cancer Survivors Association, Nanjing, China; 2009 Outstanding Scientific Publication Award by NCI-CRCHD, NIH; 2009 Outstanding Health Leadership Award from Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association and Chinese Community Center, Inc. NYC; 2008 Distinguished Asian Health Leader Award from Penn Asian Senior Services; 2006 NYC Chinese Community Cultural Center's Asian Health Leadership Award; 2005 National Institutes of Health's Martin Luther King Award in Reducing Health Disparities; 2004 NCI-CRCHD Community Healthcare Leadership Award; and 2001 NCI's Atlantic Region Cancer Information Service award.
