About AHCJ: General News

Journalists named to National Cancer Reporting Fellowships Date: 09/26/17

National Cancer Reporting FellowshipsSept. 26, 2017

COLUMBIA, MO. – A dozen journalists have been chosen for the 2017 class of the National Cancer Reporting Fellowships. AHCJ will be presenting the fellowships with expertise from the National Cancer Institute and others. The program is being supported by the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.

The fellows will spend four days on the campus of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., to increase their understanding of and ability to report accurately on complex scientific findings, provide insight into the work of cancer researchers and to better localize cancer-related stories.

The fellows will gather in Bethesda the week of Nov. 4 for a series of presentations, discussions, database sessions, lab tours and interactions with researchers and fellow journalists.

The 2017 fellowship class includes:

  • Christina Bennett, independent journalist, Harlingen, Texas

  • Elizabeth DeVita-Raeburn, senior editor, Everyday Health, New York (@devitaraeburn)

  • Pamela Fayerman, health/medical reporter, Vancouver Sun/Postmedia Network, Vancouver, British Columbia (@medicinematters)

  • Kristian Foden-Vencil, reporter/producer, Oregon Public Broadcasting, Portland, Ore. (@kristianOPB)

  • Felix Gussone, associate producer and medical doctor, NBC News, New York

  • Jon Kelvey, staff writer, Carroll County Times, Westminster, Md. (@jonkelvey)

  • Marci Landsmann, senior editor, Cancer Today, Glenside, Pa. (@MarciAlandsmann)

  • Katherine Masters, health reporter, The Frederick News-Post, Frederick, Md. (@kamamasters)

  • Mary Meehan, reporter/producer, Ohio Valley ReSource/WEKU-Eastern Kentucky, Georgetown, Ky.

  • Catherine Roberts, associate editor, health & food, Consumer Reports, Long Island City, N.Y. (@catharob)

  • Jill Sheridan Poulos, health and science reporter, WFYI/IPB News, Indianapolis (@JillASheridan)

  • Manasi Vaidya, reporter, BioPharm Insight, Brooklyn, N.Y. (@manasivaidya22)

The training topics will include:

  • Moonshots, dream teams and wars on cancer: What’s ahead?

  • Deep dive: Immunotherapy

  • Cancer evidence by the numbers

  • Hands-on exercises: How to understand and relay cancer statistics

  • The world of guidelines and cancer screening

  • Social determinants: Addressing disparities in access to quality health care and clinical trials

  • How clinical trials work

  • Hands-on exercises: Using SEER and Clinicaltrials.gov

  • Deep dive: Genomics

  • Storybuilding: Including patients in the equation

  • Deep dive: Diet and cancer risk

  • Clinical center tours

The fellows were selected from dozens of qualified applicants.

“With the need to assist reporters in covering cancer even more timely, we are quite happy to bring back the fellowship this year with the support of the Helmsley Charitable Trust,” said AHCJ Executive Director Len Bruzzese. “The National Cancer Institute is lending technical expertise, which will expose the fellows to some of the best minds on the topic.”

The Association of Health Care Journalists is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing public understanding of health care issues. With about 1,500 members across the United States and around the globe, its mission is to improve the quality, accuracy and visibility of health care reporting, writing and editing. The association and its Center for Excellence in Health Care Journalism provide training, resources and a professional home for journalists. Offices are based at the Missouri School of Journalism.