Soumya Niranjan

Soumya Niranjan
Assistant Professor

Associate Scientist (C), O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center , School of Medicine
Associate Scientist, Cancer Control and Population Sciences , O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center
Associate Scientist and Assoc Scientist (C), Center for Outcomes and Effectiveness Research and Education (COERE) , General Clinical Research Center
Associate Scientist (C), Minority Health & Research Center , General Clinical Research Center
Assistant Professor (S), Medicine - Pulmonary, Allergy, & Critical Care Medicine , Department of Medicine
Assistant Professor (P), Health Services Administration , School of Health Professions

Overview

Dr. Soumya Niranjan is an Assistant Professor of Health Professions in the Department of Health Services Administration at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). She completed her undergraduate degree in Pharmacy at the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (India) and doctoral degree in Medical Sociology from UAB. She also completed a Master’s of Science in Clinical Investigation Sciences from University of Louisville, Kentucky.

Dr. Niranjan’s research interests include health inequalities in cancer and chronic respiratory diseases. She is particularly interested in understanding key contributory factors for these disparities and shaping policies that improve patient health outcomes in underserved communities. She is also a health services researcher with specific focus in shared decision-making of treatment options and end of life care in cancer patients.

Selected Publications

Academic Article

Year	Title	Altmetric
2023	A qualitative evaluation of a clinic versus home exercise rehabilitation program for adults with multiple sclerosis: The tele-exercise and multiple sclerosis (TEAMS) study. Disability and Health Journal. 2023
2023	Using Community Health Advisors to Increase Lung Cancer Screening Awareness in the Black Belt: a Pilot Study. Journal of Cancer Education. 2023
2022	An Interactive Voice Response System to Increase Physical Activity and Prevent Cancer in the Rural Alabama Black Belt: Design and Usability Study. JMIR Human Factors. 9. 2022
2022	Training and Dissemination of Lung Cancer Education Curriculum Among Community Health Advisors in the Deep South: a Program Evaluation. Journal of Cancer Education. 2022
2021	Perceived Institutional Barriers Among Clinical and Research Professionals: Minority Participation in Oncology Clinical Trials. Jco Oncology Practice. 17:e666-e675. 2021
2021	An Interactive Voice Response System to Increase Physical Activity and Prevent Cancer in the Rural Alabama Black Belt: Design and Usability Study (Preprint) 2021
2021	Niranjan SJ, Opoku-Agyeman W, Carroll NW, Dorsey A, Tipre M, Baskin ML, Dransfield MT. Distribution and Geographic Accessibility of Lung Cancer Screening Centers in the US. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2021 Mar 30. doi: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.202010-1313RL. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33784236.. Annals of the American Thoracic Society. 2021
2021	The use of complementary and alternative medicine among hypertensive and type 2 diabetic patients in Western Jamaica: A mixed methods study. PLoS One. 16. 2021
2021	“It's important to me”: A qualitative analysis on shared decision-making and patient preferences in older adults with early-stage breast cancer 2021
2020	Should we be talking about guidelines with patients? A qualitative analysis in metastatic breast cancer. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. 184:115-121. 2020
2020	Rural Cancer Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Cancer Education. 35:862-863. 2020
2020	Trust but Verify: Exploring the Role of Treatment-Related Information and Patient-Physician Trust in Shared Decision Making Among Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer. Journal of Cancer Education. 35:885-892. 2020
2020	Tobacco smoke exposure in pediatric cystic fibrosis: A qualitative study of clinician and caregiver perspectives on smoking cessation. Pediatric Pulmonology. 55:2330-2340. 2020
2020	"i'd Want to Know, because a Year's Not a Long Time to Prepare for a Death": Role of Prognostic Information in Shared Decision Making among Women with Metastatic Breast Cancer. Journal of Palliative Medicine. 23:937-943. 2020
2020	Bias and stereotyping among research and clinical professionals: Perspectives on minority recruitment for oncology clinical trials. Cancer. 126:1958-1968. 2020
2019	What Is Important When Making Treatment Decisions in Metastatic Breast Cancer? A Qualitative Analysis of Decision-Making in Patients and Oncologists 2019
2019	Adherence to Pulmonary Rehabilitation in COPD: A QUALITATIVE EXPLORATION of PATIENT PERSPECTIVES on BARRIERS and FACILITATORS. Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention. 39:344-349. 2019
2019	Training Needs of Clinical and Research Professionals to Optimize Minority Recruitment and Retention in Cancer Clinical Trials. Journal of Cancer Education. 34:26-34. 2019
2018	Should we be talking about guidelines with patients? A qualitative analysis in metastatic breast cancer.. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 36:217-217. 2018
2018	Trust but verify: Patterns of obtaining health information and the role of physician trust in decision-making amongst patients with metastatic breast cancer.. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 36:218-218. 2018
2018	Lay patient navigators’ perspectives of barriers, facilitators and training needs in initiating advance care planning conversations with older patients with cancer. Journal of Palliative Care. 33:70-78. 2018
2017	Implementation and Impact of Patient Lay Navigator-Led Advance Care Planning Conversations. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 53:682-692. 2017

Research Overview

Implementation science, Social determinants of chronic diseases, Racial and gender health disparities in cancer care outcomes, Palliative cancer care

Principal Investigator On

3/3 Morehouse Sch of Medicine/Tuskegee Univ/University of Alabama at Birmingham O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center Partnership - Pilot Project: Racial Disparities in Lung Cancer Screening Among a High-Risk Population at a Community Hospital and Academic Health System in the Southeastern US awarded by National Cancer Institute/NIH/DHHS

Studying Trial Determinants of Success (STRIDES): Understanding Barriers and Facilitators to Clinical Trial Accrual Among Patients with Lung Cancer in the Deep awarded by GO2 FOUNDATION FOR LUNG CANCER

Investigator On

3/3 Morehouse School of Medicine/Tuskegee University/University of Alabama at Birmingham O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center Partnership awarded by National Cancer Institute/NIH/DHHS

Development & Implementation of Innovative Interventions to Effectively Address Clinical Trial Diversity awarded by GO2 FOUNDATION FOR LUNG CANCER

Impact of Airborne Heavy Metals on Lung Disease and the Environment awarded by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences/NIH/DHHS

Impact of Airborne Heavy Metals on Lung Diseases & the Environment - Community Engagement - Core C awarded by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences/NIH/DHHS

Teaching Overview

I teach in both the undergraduate and the graduate programs in the Department of Health Services Administration. Specifically in Health Care Management Program, I teach Medical Terminology for HealthCare Professionals. Additionally, in the Health Care Quality and Safety Graduate Program, I teach Evaluating Quality Improvement Models.