Natalie’s Angels Foundation is proud to partner with The Institute for Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship (ICOS). ICOS was founded by the The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s School of Medicine to meet the needs of cancer survivors. ICOS seeks to design interventions and therapies to help survivors not only survive, but thrive.
ICOS was established in January of 2015 as a UAB School of Medicine Initiative with support from the School of Medicine, the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Departments of Pediatrics, Medicine, Surgery and Radiation Oncology.
With a continual rise in the number of cancer survivors, our goal is to better understand and address the long-term effects of cancer treatment on the overall health and well-being of survivors. Our mission is to reduce the burden of cancer and its sequelae across all segments of the population, through interdisciplinary research, health promotion and education. We envision a world where cancer survivors live a long and healthy life.
Dr. Smita Bhatia, Director of ICOS, was Natalie’s Oncologist. We are thrilled to honor her memory by working alongside Dr. Bhatia, whose kindness, compassion, and expertise left a lasting impression on all of us.
Smita Bhatia, MD, MPH
Professor & Vice Chair of Outcomes for Pediatrics
Director of the School of Medicine Institute for Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship
Associate Director for Outcomes Research of the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center
Associate Director of the Center for Outcomes and Effectiveness Research and Education
Research Interests
Dr. Bhatia’s research focuses on cancer outcomes, with a special emphasis on the long-term health and wellbeing of cancer survivors across all cancer diagnoses with the overarching goal to reduce the burden of morbidity among cancer survivors. Her research portfolio includes the following: i) a study of the burden of morbidity carried by cancer patients across the entire age spectrum; ii) an understanding of etiology and pathogenesis of the long-term complications identified in cancer survivors; iii) development of risk prediction models to identify survivors at the highest risk; iv) intervention trials to reduce the complications among the cancer survivors. Her research has also focused on understanding the causes of disparity in cancer outcomes, with the goal to develop targeted interventions to reduce disparities in cancer outcomes. As Director of the Institute for Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship at UAB School of Medicine, she is fully committed to mentoring the Institute members and ensuring their success.
Wendy Landier, PhD, RN, CRNP
Associate Professor, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
Associate Professor, School of Nursing
Member, Institute for Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship
Chair, Children’s Oncology Group Nursing Discipline
Research Interests
Dr. Landier's research is focused on understanding and improving health outcomes in cancer survivors, with an emphasis on long-term follow-up of cancer survivors; guideline development for cancer survivorship care; secondary cancer prevention; ototoxicity in childhood cancer survivors; adherence to therapy; improving acquisition of health knowledge, and understanding the effective delivery of patient/family education. Her goal is to develop targeted interventions to improve outcomes in cancer survivors.
Julie Wolfson, MD, MSHS
Assistant Professor, Divison of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
Member, Institute for Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship
Associate Member, UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cancer Control and Population Sciences Program St. Baldrick’s Scholar
Research Interests
Informing academia and clinical medicine as well as health policy for children with cancer and blood diseases with a focus on vulnerable populations. Her focus has been on disparities in adolescents and young adults (AYA) with sickle cell disease and cancer, including particular attention to treatment site and access to healthcare. She is also undertaking a global approach to disparities in AYA oncology.