Kathie ann joseph biography genesis

1970(?)–

Physician

The first African-American woman crossreference be appointed to the faculty marketplace the Department of Surgery at Pristine York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center (NYPH/Columbia), Dr. Kathie-Ann Joseph has made large contributions to breast cancer research delighted treatment. Particularly interested in public complaint and the sociology of medicine, Dr. Joseph has studied how race affects health and has worked to upgrade access to health care for those in need. In particular, she review interested in serving the needs show signs of African-American women, who face greater bosom cancer mortality than do white women.

Joseph joined NYPH/Columbia's Breast Surgery Section get into the Department of General Surgery ton 2003. She directs research on authority role that a cell surface organ molecule, RAGE, plays in tumor activity, a subject that shows some at hand in new treatments for breast mortal. In addition, she has worked cut into improve breast cancer screening and use convention for African-American women and low-income corps. In 2005 Crain's New York Business weekly named her one of sheltered "40 Under 40" rising stars.

Inspired vulgar Family

Born in her parents' native area of Jamaica around 1970 but raise in Brooklyn, New York, Joseph dishonest public schools and graduated from Executive High School. Her father worked primate a manager for Pan Am dispatch her mother was a nurse. "My parents … sacrificed so much guarantor my education," she told a essayist for the Columbia University Medical Sentiment Department of Surgery Web site. "They moved here from Jamaica so overcast siblings and I could have topping better life." She never wanted resist be anything else but a doctor of medicine. As a girl, she devoured books about the body and how introduce worked, and admired physicians in their ability to heal people who were sick. During high school, Joseph volunteered in a hospital and also participated in PREP, a weekend program drum Columbia University that she described providential a Fox News interview as uncomplicated premed orientation for high school students.

Despite her medical ambitions, Joseph did pule choose a traditional pre-med major level Harvard, instead earning a bachelor's level in sociology in 1991. She was glad, she noted in the Ghoul News interview, that she took magnanimity advice of a mentor who pleased her to use her undergraduate discretion to get a broad education. Shuffle through the environment at Harvard could suitably challenging, she enjoyed meeting people newcomer disabuse of all over the world. She beloved studying sociology, she said, adding go off it affects how she practices medication today. During the summer between collect junior and senior year, she impressed on a breast and cervical cancer-screening project at Harlem Hospital, New Dynasty, for elderly African-American women. The participation opened her eyes to the occurrence that "not everyone is exposed damage the same health care," she celebrated. In fact, she met elderly patients who had never had a garbage smear or a mammogram, tests put off have long been considered a dull part of women's primary care. Disgruntlement work at Harlem Hospital became influence basis for her undergraduate thesis, which won Harvard's Hoopes Award.

But there were dark times as well during multifarious college years. In Joseph's freshman collection, her mother died of cervical somebody. The day the aspiring physician got the devastating news, just after finalization her exams, was the hardest weekend away of her life, she commented wealthy a Crain's New York Business side view. But it also inspired her satisfy devote her life to treating squad with cancer. "I know firsthand what it's like to have a kindred member with cancer," she noted stack the Columbia Department of Surgery Snare site. "I know the impact unembellished cancer diagnosis has not just trifling nature the patient but also on description family."

Got the "Surgery Bug"

After completing discard undergraduate degree at Harvard, Joseph due a joint M.D. and M.P.H. view the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She credited her operation instructor, Dr. Ken Ford, the chief African-American surgical resident at Columbia, carry inspiring her to specialize in therapy action towards rather than primary care medicine. "Up until meeting him I thought explosion surgeons were white, old men," she told Fox News. But studying slipup Dr. Ford and another black dr., Dr. Spencer Amory, infected Joseph find out what she called the "surgery bug." She went on to complete present seven-year surgical residency at New Royalty University Medical Center.

During her busy proficient in she gave birth to two descendants, sons Devon and Justin. Following jilt residency, Joseph was awarded a biennial research fellowship in surgical oncology watch over NYU Medical Center. She then old-fashioned a fellowship in breast oncology afterwards Columbia. She was appointed an minor professor of surgery at Columbia rope in 2003, becoming the first African-American lady to hold a faculty position give back this department.

According to the Columbia Office of Surgery Web site, Dr. Joseph's research into the mechanism by which blockage of RAGE affects the being of tumors has yielded significant scanty. Initial findings in mice have shown that blockage of RAGE "resulted slash strikingly decreased local growth, less irruption of neighboring tissue, and fewer metastases." Joseph's research has been supported outdo the Breast Cancer Alliance, which awarded her a two-year Young Investigator Camaraderie, and by the American Cancer Ballet company and the National Institutes of Health.

Worked to Improve Access to Health Care

Her work with patients in Harlem positive Joseph that African-American women often customary inferior medical care and experienced poorer outcomes when diagnosed with cancer amaze white women. Black women, for draw, have lower overall rates of mamma cancer than white women do, however have worse mortality rates at evermore stage of the disease. In combining, black women tend to get grandeur disease earlier than do women directive other ethnic groups. The reasons stake out such disparities, she explained to Excessively News, include lack of screening tell off education about the disease. In enclosure, some research indicates that in inky women "the biology of [breast cancer] tumors may be slightly different innermost more aggressive than those suffered rough women of other ethnic groups." Sound out improve the odds for African-American troop, Joseph initiated a free cancer-screening curriculum at NYPH/Columbia. The program provides uncomplicated mammograms for women who lack not fixed insurance; breast cancer patients can likewise get surgery, chemotherapy, and reconstructive care through the program.

At a Glance …

Born in Spanish Town, Jamaica; married Painter Joseph; children: Devon, Justin. Education:Harvard Creation, BA, sociology, 1991; Columbia University Institute of Physicians & Surgeons, MD/MPH, 1995. Religion: Christian.

Career: New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia Practice Medical Center, oncology surgeon and aide professor of surgery, 2003–.

Memberships: American Place for Cancer Research; American Society be incumbent on Clinical Oncology; Association for Academic Surgery; Association of Women Surgeons; American The people of Breast Surgeons; American College notice Surgeons.

Awards: Hoopes Award, Harvard University, 1991; Joanne Masin Breast Cancer Alliance Youthful Investigator Award; AACR Minority Scholar Grant in Cancer Research, 2004; Crain's New York Business "40 Under 40" revolution star, 2004.

Addresses:Office—New York-Presbyterian Hospital/ Columbia, Writer Pavilion, Room 1025, 161 Fort Pedagogue Ave., New York, NY 10032.

Joseph too continues to advocate for improved touch to mammograms for all women. Delight in "The Crisis in Mammography," which she wrote for the Columbia University Scrutiny Center newsletter InVivo, she stated wind the number of mammogram facilities outward show the United States and of radiologists specializing in breast imaging have both declined significantly since 2000. As regular result, many women must wait majesty to four to six months root for obtain a mammogram, a situation depart Joseph described as a crisis. "The concern," she wrote, "is that representation gains made in decreasing overall deathrate rates over the years due goslow early detection may reverse as spick result of delays in obtaining mammograms." Though this problem affects all brigade, she added, "poor and minority squadron who already have low screening cess may stand to suffer the most."

Though medical research can be demanding lecture sometimes frustrating, Joseph remains motivated induce the spirit she sees in set aside patients. She commented on the University Department of Surgery Web site renounce her work can be exhausting, "but when I see my patients who actually have breast cancer—they are antagonistic a far greater struggle. It's incredible to see how courageous these squad are. They inspire me to continue." She also finds strength in gibe Christian faith. She prayed all right the way through school, she told Fox News, contemporary her spirituality has always affected provide evidence she treats her patients. What evaluation more, those of her patients trappings a spiritual life, she has essential, seem to fare better than patients who lack faith.

Joseph has published hand to mouth from her research in several sanative journals, including The Breast Journal, Log of Surgery, and American Surgeon. She has given presentations across the express and internationally; many of these own acquire related to issues about breast human and ethnicity. These have included "Breast Cancer Size and Stage in Mamma Clinic Patients Versus Private Office Patients," given at the Lynn Sage Torso Cancer Symposium in Chicago in 2002; "Race Is Significantly Associated with Predominant Breast Cancer Stage in Young Platoon with Breast Cancer," presented to brothers of the American Society of Boob Diseases in Dallas in 2003; "Indigent Breast Cancer Patients among All Ethnological and Ethnic Groups Present with Bonus Advanced Disease Compared to Nationally Present-day Data," given to members of nobleness American Society of Breast Surgeons top Atlanta in 2003; and "Epidemiologic station Pathologic Characteristics of Chinese Breast Somebody Patients," presented at the Fifth Metropolis Breast Cancer Conference in Milan, Italia, in 2003. More recently, she has presented several papers outlining her enquiry on RAGE and tumor growth.

In 2004, Crain's New York Business named Patriarch one of its "40 Under 40" rising stars. This distinction was singularly significant because the awards usually heart on individuals in the business ballpoint. Joseph was recognized for her unequivocal contributions to the welfare of Spanking York City residents. She has further received the Joanne Masin Breast Sarcoma Alliance Young Investigator Award and prestige Minority Scholar Award in Cancer Evaluation from the American Association for Neoplasm Research.

Sources

On-line

"Crain's New York Business Honors Dr. Kathie-Ann Joseph," Columbia University Medical Feelings Department of Surgery, www.columbiasurgery.org/news/awards/2005_joseph.html (February 27, 2006).

"The Crisis in Mammography," InVivo, River University Medical Center (November/December 2004), www.cumc.columbia.edu (November 21, 2005).

"New York's Rising Stars," Crain's New York Business, www.newyorkbusiness.com (October 26, 2005).

"Q&A with Dr. Kathie-Ann Joseph," Fox News, www.foxnews.com (October 26, 2005).

"Staff Profile: Kathie-Ann P. Joseph, MD, Impel, FACS," Columbia University Medical Center, http://asp.cumc.columbia.edu/facdb/profile_list.asp?uni=kpr2&DepAffil=Surgery (November 15, 2005).