Caroline Thompson, PhD

2025 Health Equity Research Grant

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Project Summary
Early diagnosis is essential for optimal cancer outcomes. While some cancers can be identified by screening, most are diagnosed in patients with symptoms. Our research investigates delays in referral to diagnosis for ovarian and uterine cancer, with a focus on Black patients in North Carolina. We will use quantitative analysis of healthcare data and conduct interviews with patients and healthcare providers to identify patients who experience delays and understand barriers to prompt referral. Our goal is to support evidence and interventions that will improve earlier diagnosis, when treatment success is more likely, and reduce outcome disparities for these cancer types.

Bio

Dr. Caroline Thompson is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Gillings School of Global Public Health where she is also Full Member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Research Fellow at the Carolina Population Center. She earned her PhD with a focus in cancer epidemiology, and epidemiology methodology from the University of California Los Angeles, and obtained postdoctoral training in healthcare delivery science as an AcademyHealth Delivery Systems Science Fellow. Prior to receiving my graduate level education, she also enjoyed a 10-year career as a clinical data manager for oncology clinical trials.

Dr. Thompson’s research program covers three main areas: 1) the epidemiology of cancer healthcare outcomes, with a focus on healthcare delivery that improves the earlier diagnosis of cancer, 2) cancer health disparities, with a focus on identifying drivers of inequities in cancer burden, cancer healthcare delivery, and cancer outcomes, across groups defined by race, ethnicity, income, and geography, and 3) methods that support the creative and appropriate use of large format observational “real world” data sources, such as cancer registries, medical claims, and electronic health records (EHRs). She is PI of a National Cancer Institute funded study on uncovering disparities related to diagnosis of cancer in the emergency department in older U.S. adults, and MPI of an Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health project focused on developing clinical informatics capacity to classify newly diagnosed cancer patients using large language model processing of free text electronic health records. She is also PI of two Diagnostic Excellence Initiative awards from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, both of which are related to diagnostic delay for cancer. Reflecting her expertise in quantitative methodology for “big data”, she is also co-investigator on several projects that use registry-linked, multi-healthcare system pooled EHRs to study disparities in cancer outcomes and quality of care.