On April 18 at 5:30 p.m., join us for a virtual science café as part of the Nebraska Science Festival. Regina Idoate, PhD, and Aislinn Rookwood, both from UNMC, will be presenting on “Indigenous Cancer Research Education for Environmental Justice.” This unique café will delve into how a National Cancer Institute-funded research education program is utilizing Indigenous STEM pedagogy, practices, and resources to advance cancer education within an environmental justice framework.
Dr. Idoate, a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, is an associate professor of health promotion in the UNMC College of Public Health. With a PhD in preventive and societal medicine, along with master’s degrees in Spanish Language and Culture & Christian Spirituality, she specializes in Indigenous research methods. Dr. Idoate collaborates across disciplines, colleges, and cultures to promote health and wellness through partnerships with schools, non-profits, academic institutions, and tribes.
Rookwood, a mother of two with a background spanning Polson, Montana, and Phoenix, Arizona, is a public health specialist and assistant professor in the UNMC Department of Health Promotion. She also serves as the director of programs for CityMatCH and manages a research pathways program for underrepresented students in the UNMC College of Public Health. Her interests include addressing children’s environmental exposures through community-engaged research, research workforce development
