GHUCCTS is proud to share that KL2 alumna Alejandra Hurtado de Mendoza, Ph.D., has received funding from the Prevent Cancer Foundation through the Vic Fazio Memorial Fund to continue her research.
The project, “Sun-safety for Outdoor Laborers at Risk (SOLAR): Promoting Skin Cancer Prevention Among Hispanic Outdoor Workers,” will evaluate a culturally tailored, telenovela-style video designed to promote sunscreen use, protective clothing, and sun-safety awareness among Hispanic outdoor workers.
She is joined by co-investigators Roxanne Mirabal-Beltran, Ph.D. (also a former KL2 scholar), Chiranjeev Dash, Ph.D., Rabindra Roy, Ph.D., and Geoffrey Gibney, MD., research specialists and students David Perez, BA, Valeria Gómez, BA, Dariana Sedeño Delgado, MS, and Carlos Orellana García, MPH, with additional support from consultant Dr. Pritchett, community partners Latinas in Construction and the Spanish Catholic Center, the National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts (Nan Kyle Ficca, Producer/Filmmaker, Doug Wilder, Director/Filmmaker), a Community Advisory Board (Otto Castillo Caldas, Mélida Chacón, Rosa Yañez, Wilmer Juárez ), and a Multistakeholder Advisory Board (Rosemary Sokas, MD, Elissa Fairbrother, BA, Jocelyn Apodaca Schlossberg, MA, Amparo Caballero, Ph.D, Pilar Carrera, Ph.D., Lilia M Correa-Selm, MD., Nathaly Garcés Lenis, MS, Nan Kyle Ficca, Doug Wilder, Edith Yañez, BA, Rebecca Young, M.A)
About the Project
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, and outdoor workers face significantly higher exposure to harmful UV radiation. Hispanic outdoor workers, in particular, experience unique barriers to prevention, including limited access to healthcare and lower awareness of risk—often leading to later-stage diagnoses and worse outcomes.
To address this gap, the team developed a culturally relevant, telenovela-style educational video in collaboration with a Community Advisory Board. The study will compare this video to a standard fact sheet to determine which approach is more effective.
Study Aims
- Evaluate whether the video increases use of sun protection behaviors, such as sunscreen and protective clothing
- Assess improvements in knowledge and confidence related to skin cancer prevention
- Explore willingness among participants to engage in future research, including biospecimen collection and sun exposure monitoring
Learn more about Dr. Hurtado de Mendoza’s award and research on the Prevent Cancer Foundation website.