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Biography
Dr. Tarsha Jones is an Associate Professor at the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). She obtained a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree from Seton Hall University and a Master’s of Science in Community/Public Health Nursing from the Catholic University of America, specializing in vulnerable populations: Immigrants, refugees, and global health. As a board-certified Advanced Public Health Nurse (PHNA-BC) with over 20 years of nursing experience in various practice settings, including acute care, ambulatory care, home health, community health, and academia, Dr. Jones is recognized for her expertise in community and public health nursing. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nursing from Duquesne University and completed a post-doctoral research fellowship at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School. Her research interests are in cancer prevention, risk reduction, cancer survivorship, and eliminating cancer health disparities. Her current work focuses on breast cancer prevention, screening & early detection, promoting awareness about hereditary cancer risk, increasing uptake of genetic testing (i.e., BRCA1/2 and multigene panel testing), and developing equitable health-promoting intervention. Additionally, Dr. Jones is committed to promoting cancer survivorship and improving health outcomes among young breast cancer survivors (YBCS) and their at-risk family members.
Her doctoral dissertation examined the use of cancer genetic services and factors associated with uptake of genetic counseling and testing among young Black breast cancer survivors diagnosed at age 45 and younger. Findings revealed an underutilization of cancer genetic services among these women and most reported that they did not receive a recommendation to have genetic testing despite being diagnosed with early-onset breast cancer. This work was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine and presented at the International Society of Nurses in Genetics (ISONG) World Congress. Dr. Jones was also the recipient of the Distinguished Dissertation Award.
As a caring scholar and nurse scientist, Dr. Jones is a champion for community and public health. She is currently collaborating with her nursing colleagues at FAU to advance equitable healthcare for vulnerable underserved communities, in particular she serves as a co-investigator on a project to implement and evaluate the impact of a Patient Navigation program in reducing barriers to mammography screening and follow-up care for underserved minority women in South Florida. Dr. Jones recognizes the significant impact of social determinants of health (SDOH) and aims to achieve health equity, particularly among young Black and Hispanic women who are disproportionately affected by breast cancer. She is the recipient of a five-year NCI Mentored Research Scientist Development Award to Promote Diversity (K01) focusing on young breast cancer survivors and the recipient of an Extramural Loan Repayment Program with NIMHD.
Teaching
Undergraduate courses, NUR4638 population health: nursing situations
Introduction to Public Health: Coronavirus, Contact Tracing, and Risk-Reduction Certificate Course
Recent Publications
Jones, T . , Silverman, T., Guzman, A., McGuinness, JE., Trivedi, MS., Kukafka, R., Crew. KD. (2022). Qualitative analysis of shared decision-making for chemoprevention in the primary care setting: provider-related barriers. BMC Med Inform Decis Making. Aug 4;22(1):208. doi: 10.1186/s12911-022-01954-y.
Ro, V., Jones, T., Silverman, T., McGuinness, JE., Guzman, A., Amenta, J., Kukafka, R., Crew, KD. (2022). Patient, primary care provider, and stakeholder perspectives on mammography screening frequency: lessons learned from a qualitative study. BMC Cancer. Jul 27;22(1):819. doi: 10.1186/s12885-022-09900-x.PMID: 35897000
Crew, KD., Bhatkhande, G., Silverman, T., Amenta, J., Jones, T., McGuinness, JE., Mata, J., Guzman, A. Kukafka, R., Crew. KD. Patient and Provider Web-Based Decision Support for Breast Cancer Chemoprevention: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2022 Jun 9:canprevres.0013.2022-1-6 11:21:31.897. doi: 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-22-0013.
McGuinness, JE., Bhatkhande, G., Amenta, J., Silverman, T., Mata, J., Guzman, A., He, T., Dimond, J., Jones, T., Kukafka, R., Crew, KD. (2022). Strategies to Identify and Recruit Women at High Risk for Breast Cancer to a Randomized Controlled Trial of Web-based Decision Support Tools. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). Jun 2;15(6):399-406. doi: 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-21-0593.
Ro, V., McGuinness, JE., Guo, B., Trivedi, MS., Jones T., Chung, WK., Rao, R., Levinson, E., Koval, C., Russo, D., Chilton, I., Kukafka, R., Crew KD. (2022). Association Between Genetic Testing for Hereditary Breast Cancer and Contralateral Prophylactic Mastectomy Among Multiethnic Women Diagnosed With Early-Stage Breast Cancer. JCO Oncol Pract. 2022 Apr;18(4):e472-e483. doi: 10.1200/OP.21.00322.
Jones, T., Guzman, A., Silverman, T., Freeman-Costin, K., Kukafka, R., & Katherine D. Crew. (2021). Perceptions of racially/ethnically diverse women at high-risk for breast cancer regarding a web-based decision aid on chemoprevention: A Qualitative Study Nested Within a Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research. Jun 8;23(6):e23839:doi: 10.2196/23839.
Jones, T., Howard, H., Freeman-Costin, K., Creighton, A., Wisdom-Chambers, K., & Underhill-Blazey, M. (2021). Knowledge and Perceptions of BRCA1/2 Genetic Testing and Needs of Diverse Women with a Personal or Family History of Breast Cancer in South Florida. Journal of Community Genetics. doi: 10.1007/s12687-021-00507-6
JCO Oncol Pract . doi: 10.1200/OP.21.00322. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 34705516.
Jones, T., Freeman, K., Ackerman, M., Trivedi, M.S., Silverman, T., Shapiro, P., Kukafka, R., & Crew, K.D. (2020). Mental Illness and BRCA1/2 Genetic Testing Intention Among Multiethnic Women Undergoing Screening Mammography. Oncology Nursing Forum. 1;47(1):E13-E24. doi: 10.1188/20.ONF.E13-E24.
Jones, T., Trivedi, M.S., Jiang, X., Silverman, T., Underhill, M., Chung, WK., Kukafka, R., & Crew, KD. (2019). Racial and Ethnic Differences in BRCA1/2 and Multigene Panel Testing Among Young Breast Cancer Patients. Journal of Cancer Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-019-01646-8
Crew, S., Vanegas, A., Trivedi, M., Dimond., Sin, M., Jones, T., Terry, MB., Tsai, WY., & Kukafka, R. (2019). Study protocol: Randomized controlled trial of web-based decision support tools for high-risk women and healthcare providers to increase breast cancer chemoprevention. ContempClin Trials Commum. 16:100433. Doi: 10.1016/j.conctc.2019.100433. eCollection 2019 Dec.
Jones, T., Duquette,D., Underhill, M.,Mendelsohn-Victor, K.,Anderson, B., Milliron, K., Copeland,G., Janz, Northouse, L., Duffy, S., Merajver, S., & Katapodi, MC. (2018). Surveillance for cancer recurrence in long-term young breast cancer survivors randomly selected from a statewide cancer registry. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 169(1): 141-152.
Jones, T., McCarthy, AM.,Kim, Y., & Armstrong, K. (2017). Predictors of BRCA 1/2 genetic testing among Blackwomen with breast cancer: A population based-study. Cancer Medicine, 6(7):11787-1798. doi: 10.1002/cam4.1120.
Underhill, M., Hong, F., Jones, T., Sprunck-Harrild, K., Walsh, S., Boyajian, R., Berry, D., & Partridge, A. (2017). Feasibility and acceptability of a website to promote survivor care in survivors of Hodgkin Disease. JCO: Clinical Cancer Informatics, DOI: 10.1200/CCI.17.0012.
Jones, T., J.S. Lockhart, K.E. Mendelsohn-Victor, et al. (2016). Use of Cancer Genetics Services in African-American Young Breast Cancer Survivors. Am J Prev Med. DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2016.03.016
Underhill, M., Jones, T., Habin, K. (2016). Disparities in cancer genetic risk assessment and testing. ONF, 43(4)519-23. DOI: 10.1188/16.ONF.519-523.
Jones, T., Katapodi, M., & Lockhart J. (2015). Factors influencing breast cancer screening and risk assessment among young African American women: An integrative review of the literature. JAANP, 27(9):521-9. DOI: 10.1002/2327-6924.12223
Honors/Awards
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2003 |
Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society Induction, Seton Hall University |
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2009 |
Paul Ambrose Scholar, Association for Prevention Teaching and Research, Washington, DC |
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2009 |
Alumni Award for Excellence in Masters Studies, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC |
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2016 |
Distinguished Dissertation Award, Duquesne University School of Nursing, PA |
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2015-2016 |
Appointment at Harvard Medical School as a Research Fellow |
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2016-2017 |
Participant, City of Hope Intensive Cancer Risk Assessment Course |
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2016-2017 |
Participant, National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN-STAR) Steps Towards Academic Research Program |
2017- Nurse of the Year _Palm Health Foundation
2020- FAU- Excellence and Innovation in Undergraduate Teaching Award
2021- NIH- K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Award to Promote Diversity