Three faculty members from the Duke Department of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences have been awarded Duke Global Health Institute’s spring 2026 pilot research funding opportunity, Topics in Global Cancer.
Trinitia Cannon, MD; Nosayaba Osazuwa-Peters, PhD, MPH, BDS; and Leda Scearce, CCC-SLP, MM, MS will receive the funding for their project titled, Community Head and Neck Cancer Knowledge, Engagement, Research, and Screening (CHECKERS).
Duke Global Health Institute provides the pilot funds to stimulate interdisciplinary research collaborations that address issues relating to cancer detection, prevention, diagnosis, or treatment in resource-constrained environments.
Through their project, Cannon, Osazuwa-Peters, and Scearce will advance a community-engaged head and neck cancer prevention model in partnership with North Raleigh International Baptist Church and the Duke Cancer Institute Community Health Ambassadors Program. The project focuses on culturally and linguistically responsive education, faith-based health ministry infrastructure, and strategies to improve head and neck cancer literacy, detection, and prevention in immigrant and refugee communities.