WVU Cancer Institute researcher named a Putnam Scholar

Dannell Boatman, EdD, MS, research associate in the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at WVU Cancer Institute, was selected by the Academy of Communication in Healthcare (ACH) as one of two researchers to join the 2023 cohort of the Putnam Scholars Program. 

The ACH is a professional organization committed to improving communication and relationships in healthcare. The Putnam Scholars Program was created to honor the vision of the late Samuel Morse Putnam, MD, who was an advocate for education and research in physician-patient communication. 

The Putnam Scholars Program was created as a career development opportunity for young investigators working to advance healthcare communication research and scholarship. The program offers participants opportunities to gain exposure to their most recent scientific work, obtain mentoring from experienced investigators, present their scholarly work at conferences, and join a professional community with the potential for scientific collaboration.  

Boatman, along with an expert health communication mentor and researcher, will participate in a variety of ACH events including special retreats, and national and international health communication conferences.  She will have the opportunity to collaborate on an original research project focusing on patient-provider communication and its effect on cancer screening decision-making in Appalachia. 

“I am extremely honored and excited to be selected as a Putnam Scholar,” Dannell Boatman, EdD, MS, WVU Cancer Institute research associate, said. “The opportunities provided by this unique program will help me reach my goal of leveraging the power of communication to improve cancer health outcomes in Appalachia." 

Boatman is a health communication researcher who has worked in public health since 2015, primarily within the field of cancer prevention and control. Her cancer communication research interests include healthcare communication, digital health technologies, social media, and Appalachian culture. In addition to her research, she has experience in programmatic evaluation, implementation, and dissemination of evidence-based practices, and practice facilitation in primary care. In 2022, Dr. Boatman launched the Communicating for Health in Appalachia by Translating Science (CHATS) Lab to improve health outcomes in West Virginia and beyond through original communications-focused research and by fostering the adoption of research in practice using dissemination and communication science theories and frameworks.  

To learn more about the CHATS Lab at WVU Cancer Institute, contact Dr. Dannell Boatman.