USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center

An NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center

Community Outreach and Engagement

Led by globally recognizedLourdes Baezconde-Garbanati, PhD, MPH, the mission of the Office of Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) is to reduce the cancer burden in our catchment area of Los Angeles County through research, education, and outreach. COE accomplishes this mission via the following aims:

      1. Defining assessing, and monitoring cancer-relevant needs of our catchment area.
      2. Fostering catchment-relevant research, education, and outreach.
      3. Enhancing enrollment of diverse, underrepresented community members in cancer-related clinical trials and other cancer research.
      4. Elevating the impact of USC Norris research through policy/advocacy for our catchment area.
      5. Extending our reach to support communities across California and the nation.

Our priorities focus on major cancer burdens and disparities in our catchment area (such as: breast, prostate, lung, colorectal, liver, acute lymphoblastic leukemia), and behavioral factors that alter risk for cancer (e.g. HPV vaccination, cervical cancer screening, diet, physical activity, tobacco, environmental pollutants). With significant input from our Community Advisory Board, COE serves as a bridge between our community and USC Norris scientists and drives catchment area-relevant research across the continuum from cancer prevention to development of novel diagnostics and therapies to cancer survivorship. COE also informs transdisciplinary and transformative scientific initiatives guided by the USC Norris Strategic Plan. 

Contact Us

Carolina Aristizabal, MD, MPH, CHES®

Program Manager and Executive Director

Email: caristiz@usc.edu

Phone: 323-442-1315

To learn more about the Community Outreach and Engagement Advisory Boards, click HERE

For access to the community tools available from the Office of Community Outreach and Engagement, click HERE

To learn more about the patient centered services available via the Office of Community Outreach and Engagement, click HERE

To learn more about the community outreach and education efforts at COE, click HERE

To learn more about the research fostered by the Office of Community Outreach and Engagement, click HERE

COE Campaigns