Assistant Professor Meghan Skiba Receives NIH Loan Repayment Program Award to Support Cancer Survivor Research
Aug. 17, 2023
The University of Arizona College of Nursing is proud to acknowledge the achievement of Assistant Professor Meghan Skiba, PhD, MS, MPH, RDN, for receiving an NIH Loan Repayment Program award! This award repays a portion of a researcher’s qualified educational debt in return for a commitment to engage in NIH mission-relevant research. Way to go, Meghan!
Asked what this award means to her, Dr. Skiba said, "Receiving this LRP award is significant on a personal level, both on how it will impact my family directly and my career trajectory long term. The direct financial support alleviates in real-time the stress felt from the uphill battle of federal student loan repayment. The recognition of my research and scholarship by the National Cancer Institute as worthy of direct financial investment motivates me to continue pursuing important research to optimize energy balance and healthy aging in cancer prevention and control."
Meghan B Skiba , PhD, MS, MPH, RDN
During the two-year period of support from the award, Dr. Skiba will continue to implement adapted evidenced-based interventions promoting healthy diet and physical activity in aging cancer survivors and their caregivers.
"The results from these studies will inform scaling the interventions for broader reach and to better understand mechanisms of cancer-related biological aging," she said. "I will also receive ongoing career mentoring from Dr. Terry Badger. Ultimately, this research aims to deliver innovative and accessible interventions for diverse cancer survivors to improve biological aging and metabolic and psychosocial health by harnessing the synergistic effects of a eating healthy diet and being physically active. By learning about how diet and physical activity may influence the way cancer survivors and caregivers age, can ultimately reduce the burden of cancer and improve health outcomes for our community."
Title: Optimizing Aging in Cancer Survivor-Caregiver Dyads through Diet and Physical Activity
Funder: NCI
Award Period: 8/1/2023-7/31/2025
Description: Provides direct financial support to PI during LRP award period to conduct research related to biological aging and lifestyle behaviors in diverse cancer survivors and caregivers in Arizona and career development and training activities.