Nynikka Palmer, MPH, DrPH, is an assistant professor of medicine at the University of California San Francisco, with secondary appointments in the Departments of Urology and Radiation Oncology. As a mixed-methods public health researcher, Dr. Palmer is committed to unraveling cancer disparities by using community engagement, relationship-centered communication, and multilevel strategies to enhance the delivery of high-quality cancer care. Dr. Palmer has been funded by the National Cancer Institute to work to enable low-income African American men to access high-quality prostate cancer treatment. She seeks to do this by anchoring the evidence-based intervention of peer navigation in the relational concept of African American brotherhood to foster trust and empowerment and optimize patient-centered communication, treatment decision-making, and quality of care.
Dr. Palmer is the co-leader of the Prostate Cancer Task Force of the San Francisco Cancer Initiative, which works to eliminate prostate cancer disparities through community engagement and education, targeted early detection, appropriate follow-up of aggressive disease, navigation and support services, and institutional partnerships that ensure high-quality care city-wide. Dr. Palmer is also on the Board of Directors for the Academy of Communication in Healthcare, as the Expert in Communication Research to Promote Health Equity.