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MELISSA MERRITT
UH CANCER CENTER ASSISTANT RESEARCHER
Population Sciences in the Pacifc Program , Cancer Epidemiology
RECOGNIZED BY NATURE AS A RISING STAR IN THE TOP PUBLICATION ’ S “ WORLD AT THEIR FEET ” LIST .
Melissa Merritt , PhD , evaluates risk factors for women ’ s cancers with a focus on gynecologic ( ovarian and endometrial ) cancers . She developed a personal interest to investigate ovarian cancer when her grandmother was diagnosed with the disease . Merritt ’ s research goals are to improve the health of women diagnosed with gynecologic cancers by developing prevention strategies and identifying modifable lifestyle factors that may infuence survival following a cancer diagnosis .
In her recent study , Merritt and colleagues discovered that women with ovarian cancer who took aspirin or non-steroidal anti-infammatory drugs after their diagnoses , had an improved prognosis . Tis fnding provides a new opportunity to improve survival for women who are often faced with a challenging course of treatment .
“ I believe that the research I do is very important and has the possibility to have a positive impact on people ’ s lives . Tis keeps me motivated through the ups and downs of the research process .”
– MELISSA MERRITT
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