Corene Davis Graham Cancer Telethon

Dr. Vida Henderson is a behavioral scientist and Assistant Professor in the Public Health Sciences Division at Fred Hutch Cancer Center. She is also the Deputy Associate Director for the Cancer Consortium’s Office for Community Outreach and Engagement. Her research focuses on health services utilization along the cancer continuum, particularly in underserved populations and high-risk communities. An expert in minority and gender cancer inequities, health communication and community-engaged research, her goal is to improve cancer inequities by exploring multi-level associations between social determinants of health and physical and behavioral outcomes. Dr. Henderson received her PhD in Public Health from the University of Illinois Chicago, a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Xavier University of Louisiana, a Master of Public Health from University of Michigan and a Master of Fine Arts from Queens University of Charlotte.

Dr. Henderson’s current work is largely focused on using storytelling techniques in multi-media video interventions to educate audiences and facilitate clinical decision-making. She is currently leading an NCI-funded randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of a culturally tailored decision aid video promoting genetic counseling and testing among Black women with a hereditary risk for breast cancer; her team also developedthe tool. She is also co-leading studies funded by the American Cancer Society and the V Foundation to develop digital media aimed at increasing awareness and facilitating decision making about clinical trial participation among Black patients diagnosed with breast cancer and among Black communities. Her past work focused on developing patient navigation programs for uninsured and underinsured individuals to increase access to cancer screenings in community health clinics. Health equity, inclusion, and representation are central to Dr. Henderson’s work.