Mya Roberson, PhD

2026 Health Equity Grant

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Project Summary
Despite clinical guidelines, a suboptimal percentage of ovarian cancer patients undergo guideline-recommended germline testing and next-generation sequencing (NGS) to guide treatment, disproportionately impacting marginalized groups, including Black women, rural residents, and low-income individuals. Utilizing linked cancer registry, insurance, and community data, this study will evaluate predictors of germline and NGS testing and treatment outcomes across diverse populations. Findings will identify inequities and inform strategies to ensure all patients can benefit from advances in ovarian cancer care.

Bio
Mya L. Roberson is an Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health and a Member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. Trained as an epidemiologist, her research bridges disciplinary boundaries, combining community-engaged methods, big data analytics, and health services research, to improve cancer care delivery. Her goal is to generate clinically relevant, patient-centered evidence that guides personalized treatment decisions and promotes cancer care that is maximally aligned with patient needs and values. Substantively, Dr. Roberson’s research program focuses on population-level trends in cancer treatment using real world data, survivorship care for people living with metastatic cancers, and improving access to genetic and genomic services delivery for marginalized populations. Dr. Roberson has been funded by the National Cancer Institute, the Prevent Cancer Foundation, the American Association for Cancer Research in Partnership with Victoria’s Secret and Pelotonia, as well as Gilead Sciences.