Beyond Cancer Spotlight: Heike Thiel de Bocanegra

In recognition of Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, we are highlighting Heike Thiel de Bocanegra, PhD, MPH (she/her), Adjunct Professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology at the School of Medicine. Read on to learn about her story!

1. What are your career/research interests? 

I am conducting studies that assess access to primary and women’s health care and the translation of evidence- based practices into functional and high-quality programs.

2. How did your early life experiences shape your education and career choices? 

I have been interested in health equity and social justice. I lived for 7.5 years in Peru working at international development agencies on primary care that demonstrated the feasibility of community participation in health projects and guided national Peruvian health projects.

3. What brought you to UCI?

My tenure at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) included 12 years as director of the UCSF Evaluation of California’s 1115 Medicaid waiver Family Planning, Access, Care, and Treatment (Family PACT).Once the waiver became part of California’s state plan, I continued at UCSF and then UCI to work in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology on reproductive health issues in minority and immigrant populations. I received two Patient Centered Outcome Research Institute (PCORI) awards which aim to disseminate an online cervical cancer patient education tool on cervical screening in English and Spanish and to engage refugee women in reproductive health research and interventions. Currently I am PI on an award from the National Library of Medicine to improve reproductive health literacy in the Afghan and Arab-speaking newcomer populations.

4. What motivates you to serve your community and contribute to the CFCCC mission? 

Many immigrant and refugee women experience barriers to care but are at risk of preventable disease like cervical cancer.

5. What challenges have you experienced in your professional journey? 

One key challenge is the need of obtaining external funding for health service research which may impede assessment of long-term programs, the fact that historically little funding was available for prevention programs, and that the success of prevention programs is difficult to measure.

6. What personal or professional accomplishment are you most proud of? 

In the past years, I founded the Refugee Reproductive Health Network (ReproNet), a campus-community partnership with hubs in Sacramento, San Diego, and Orange Counties. The network developed and implemented a Refugee Reproductive Health Literacy Training for Afghan and Arab refugee women. The training included a session on cervical cancer literacy. We could show the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of this training. Our UCI undergraduate students conducted successful undergraduate research opportunity program studies; one former UROP fellows and Bio199 students (now first year medical student) evaluated the effectiveness of our online UCLA-UCI-NCCC Understanding Cervical Cancer Prevention tool in the Arab community and will present about the study atthe Western Medical Research Conference that will be held in Carmel, California on January 16-18, 2025.

7. What are your interests/hobbies outside of work? 

Jogging, and being there for family (eight grandkids ages 2 to 19 years from 3 sons).

Have someone in mind for a spotlight? Nominate them today!