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Shakira J. Grant MBBS, MSCR
About Me:
Greetings! I hail from the picturesque island of Barbados in the Eastern Caribbean, home to around 282,000 wonderful people. With over 17 years of medical practice spanning Barbados, Trinidad, Bermuda, and the USA, I've dedicated my career to serving diverse communities.
Specializations:
My expertise lies in Geriatric Medicine and Hematology-Oncology.
Origins of the GrantLab:
Fast forward to the present: In 2021, I established the GrantLab during my tenure track faculty role. Initially focused on researching cancer health disparities, the lab's mission has evolved. Credit goes to the countless study participants, patients, caregivers, and community advocates whose stories shaped our focus.
Current Focus:
Now, at a pivotal intersection in my career, I've practiced medicine for 17 years, mentored and been mentored, established my research lab, and am committed to a patient/family caregiver-centered approach. My attention has expanded to health policy, marking the ongoing evolution of my challenging yet rewarding career. My ultimate goal remains steadfast — to make a meaningful impact and amplify the voices of the most vulnerable.
Passion and Inspiration:
My journey to becoming a medical oncologist was inspired by a profound desire to make a positive impact on vulnerable populations. The seed was planted at the age of 12 when personal experiences with cancer within my family sparked a determination to become a "cancer doctor." Volunteering in the Cancer unit at our island's only tertiary hospital during high school further exposed me to the challenges families face in coping with this disease.
Cancer health disparities:
My ongoing commitment to cancer health disparities research involves writing and publishing papers on topics like clinical trial diversity, medical mistrust in the Black community, and the impact of multiple myeloma on patients and caregivers.
Spiritual and Faith-based direction:
Recognizing a yearning for spiritual connection among patients and their families, I, a Christian woman of faith, began creating faith-based motivational content on YouTube in September 2023.
2023 Healio NextGen Disruptor Award
Programs to Increase Diversity Among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research (PRIDE) Scholar, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute-sponsored, Augusta, Georgia, 2022
Butler-Williams Scholar, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Maryland (virtual meeting), 2020
American Society of Hematology Health Equity Task Force mentee member, 2023- present
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Faculty facilitator, Junior Faculty Research Special Interest Group, Career Development Session, American Geriatrics Society Annual Meeting, Long Beach, CA, 2023
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Faculty facilitator, Trainee & Early Career Oncologist roundtable, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Chicago, 2023 • Co-Director, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Oncology Summer Institute, 2023
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Faculty (Cancer in Special Populations- focus on the older adult with cancer), American Society of Clinical Oncology, Oncology Summer Institute, 2022
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Faculty mentor Medical Student Training in Aging Research (MSTAR) Program 2022-2023 • Clin-STAR annual meeting organizing committee member, 2022
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Communication core member, Cancer and Aging Research Group, 2022-2023
Moderator, Geriatric Hematology symposium, American Society of Hematology Annual 12 Meeting, Atlanta, GA, 2021
Faculty (Cancer in Special Populations- focus on the older adult with cancer), American Society of Clinical Oncology Summer Internship, 2021
Research methods subcommittee member, American Geriatrics Society, 2020- 2022
Member, Cancer and Aging Research Group, 2018 – Present
Member, International Society of Geriatric Oncology, 2018 – Present
Member, American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2017 – Present
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Member, American Geriatric Society, 2015 – Present
Member, American Society of Hematology, 2014 – Present
Member, American College of Physicians, 2012 – 2015
Loh KP, Tsang M, Grant S.J, Lin R, Klepin H. Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice (8th edition), Part XII: Consultative Hematology | Aging and Hematologic Disorders (chapter). Elsevier, 2023
Grant S, Ford M, Ford P. Patient Blood Management: Multidisciplinary approaches to optimizing care. American Association of Blood Banks (AABB). Bethesda, Maryland, 2016
Grant S, Ford P, Laio A, Keck G. Patient Blood Management strategies in Cancer and Chronic Kidney Disease: Perioperative Blood Management, A Physician's Handbook. American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) 3rd Edition. Bethesda, Maryland, 2013.
Positions and Education
2023
Master of Science in Clinical Research (MSCR)
Gillings School of Global Public Health
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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2021 - 2023
Assistant Professor (Tenure Track)
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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2017 - 2020
Chief Fellow, 2019
Hematology-Oncology Fellowship
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
University of Washington
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2016 - 2017
Clinical Instructor
University of Pennsylvania
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2015 - 2016
Geriatric Medicine Fellowship
University of Pennsylvania
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2012 - 2015
Internal Medicine Residency
Pennsylvania Hospital
University of Pennsylvania Health System
Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)
University of the West Indies, Barbados
2006
