Duquesne University Department Chair and McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty member Faina Linkov, PhD, MPH, has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for her contributions to biobehavioral cancer research, global health work, and improving publishing opportunities for scientists in the developing world.
The AAAS, the world’s largest scientific society, elects fellows each year to recognize their efforts to advance science or its applications. A lifetime honor, fellows are selected by their AAAS peers. Dr. Linkov is believed to be the first female faculty member from Duquesne to receive this recognition, furthering the University’s reputation for expanding student horizons by creating opportunities for women in STEM fields. Dr. Linkov serves as a volunteer mentor for women in STEM programs.
“I’m honored to be selected as an AAAS Fellow at a time when the world needs science more than ever,” said Dr. Linkov, chair for the Department of Health Administration and Public Health at Duquesne’s John G. Rangos, Sr. School of Health Sciences. “Whether it’s developing a vaccine for COVID-19, finding better ways to treat cancer or preventing infectious and chronic diseases, scientists are playing a critical role in improving global health.”
Dr. Linkov’s primary research interest has been gynecologic malignancies, where her work focused on investigating the connection between biological markers and cancer risk reduction. She also worked on health services administration research efforts focusing on benign gynecologic disease.
Her recent research interests included biomedical informatics, where she worked on several cancer registries-based projects with the aim of using existing reportable data to help improve medical efficiency and public health. Her most recent study found that ovarian cancer patients treated with intraperitoneal chemotherapy experienced improved 10-year survival rates.
Dr. Linkov, who joined Duquesne in July after serving as an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, also helped to shape global health education as a part of the Global Health Network Supercourse project.
She is a member of the American Association for Cancer Research. In 2012, she received the University of Pittsburgh’s Cancer Institute Scholar Award for meritorious biobehavioral research. She has published over 100 peer reviewed papers and chapters on various aspects of gynecologic disease, epidemiology, education, and public health and is the founding editor-in-chief of the Central Asian Journal of Global Health.
Dr. Linkov received her doctoral degree in epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health and completed her post-doctoral training at Pitt in the School of Rehabilitation Science.
Congratulations, Dr. Linkov!
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