Staff

Dr. Bensen’s research interests focus on the effect that genes and environment have on risk, severity and progression of prostate and breast cancer. She has experience working with biologic specimens in the laboratory, counseling patients for genetic diseases and also designing and developing population and hospital-based research studies. Dr. Bensen is the Co-Director of the North Carolina-Louisiana Prostate Cancer Study (PCaP), a study of risk factors that may explain the differences observed in prostate cancer risk, severity and progression between African American and White men. She also leads the PCaP follow-up study that follows PCaP subjects after their prostate cancer diagnosis to understand the relationship between their cancer treatment and their quality of their life. Dr. Bensen is involved in two University Cancer Research Fund supported studies; the Carolina Breast Cancer Study and the UNC Health Registry and Cancer Survivorship Cohort as co-investigator and leader, respectively. Dr. Bensen also teaches Advanced Genetic Epidemiology to doctoral level students.

Mary received a BS in Animal Science from NCSU in 1987 and earned an MS in Clinical Research from Campbell University in 2006. Mary has spent her entire career in the Raleigh/Durham, NC area. She worked for three years in a Hematology/Oncology lab at Duke University before going to work at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS/NIH) where she worked as a bench biologist for 15 years. Mary’s research at NIEHS was primarily focused on examining genetic susceptibility to cancer and other environmentally-related diseases. During the past 8 years Mary worked as a contract Project Manager for the NIEHS Epidemiology Branch, managing many small to medium epidemiology field studies. In addition, Mary has worked as a Clinical Monitor for FDA-regulated clinical trials and as a Clinical Trial Specialist for the International Maternal Pediatric and Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trial Network (IMPAACT). Mary will be responsible for overseeing and managing the clinical operations and research staff for the UNC Health Registry.

Adrian received his BA in English from Coastal Carolina University in 2000. He relocated to the area in 2004 from the Outer Banks of North Carolina where he was a middle school teacher of English and Social Studies. Since 2005, Adrian has been involved in, and helped coordinate and manage several social/behavioral research projects at UNC Chapel Hill. These projects specialized in cancer survivorship and diabetes prevention. His current interests include cancer care, program management, outdoor activities, and being a dad. Adrian utilizes and develops policies and practices to protect and distribute data used for scholarly research that is collected through the UNC Health Registry/Cancer Survivorship Cohort and NC Prostate Cancer Consortium (PCaP).

Laura has a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Bachelor of Education from the University of Regina in Canada. After working for several years in Uganda as a laboratory supervisor for the British National Research Council on one of the largest population-based studies of HIV in Africa, she taught high school Biology and Chemistry in Greensboro, North Carolina. Her interest in medical research and statistics led her to a Master’s degree in Epidemiology with a focus in Biostatistics from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 2009. Laura has worked a research analyst at UNC for seven years, managing data and conducting analyses for both population- and hospital-based research. Laura has provided biostatistical support for multiple studies in burn epidemiology and organ transplant outcomes as well as prostate and other cancers. In her role as an Analyst with the Health Registry, she works with investigators to determine research requirements, provide them with data from the Health Registry and other sources, and provides biostatistical support to help them meet their research aims.

Luz was born in Lima, Peru and now lives in Fuquay Varina, NC. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in May 2014 with a BA in Psychology and Political Science. During her undergrad career she conducted research within the Department of Psychology in the Mind Perception and Morality Lab and worked in the Carolina Survey Research Lab conducting telephone interviews all over the nation. Her interest in public health came from classes taken as an undergraduate, specifically Health Psychology. Luz would like to use her knowledge in psychology and the experience gained interacting with patients in a clinical setting to eventually pursue a career in clinical psychology. As a Social/Clinical research assistant she will be recruiting prospective study participants and conducting interviews. Luz is also fluent in Spanish and will provide interpretive assistance for Spanish speaking participants.

Dan Goldin, was born in Argentina, but moved to the Chapel Hill area at an early age. Dan received his undergraduate education in psychology and sociology from Appalachian State University. After graduation, Dan worked at Arc of Orange County and other human service agencies before pursuing his Masters degree in Social Work at the University of North Carolina. Dan graduated with his MSW in 2013 with a concentration in direct practice. Dan has a strong interest in working with veterans and one day he will continue his pursuit of clinical social work. Dan enjoys many outdoor activities, including playing soccer, basketball, golf, hiking, and walking his dog.

Margaret, a Chapel Hill native, graduated from St.Mary’s College of Maryland in 2013 with a degree in Religious Studies and Biology. She became interested in public health while studying abroad in India in 2012. During her time in India, she conducted a series of interviews with Muslim religious leaders in West Bengal who helped with polio eradication initiatives. In 2014 she was able to travel back to India for seven months to do an internship with a health and development organization in rural Maharashtra. She is excited to be back in Chapel Hill to learn more about health care and clinical research in the United States. As a Social/Clinical research assistant she will be recruiting prospective study participants and conducting interviews.

Correai is a graduate of East Carolina University in Greenville, NC where he earned degrees in Psychology and Sociology. His interest in public health stems from his experience as community/partner liaison within research studies at East Carolina and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. He seeks to continue development in the field of community based participatory research, and work to improve the quality of healthcare in urban and rural communities.
As a Social/Clinical research assistant he will be recruiting prospective study participants, conducting interviews and assisting with data collection and maintenance.

Will, a Durham native, graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a degree in Mathematics. After graduating, Will worked at the nonprofit Cornucopia Cancer Support Center where he managed programs and operations, and connected patients and family members to services that improved their quality of life. He is excited to continue working directly with cancer patients on studies that strive to better understand and treat the diagnosis.
As a Social/Clinical research assistant he will be recruiting prospective study participants and conducting interviews.

Ryan, a Raleigh native, graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with degrees in Biology and History. Upon graduation, Ryan worked at the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center characterizing the effects of immunosuppression on cancer development in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, sparking his interest in both research and medicine. Ryan is excited to combine his passion for research with his love for patient interaction to work toward better understanding of cancer origination and, ultimately, better treatment strategies. As a Social/Clinical research assistant he will be recruiting prospective study participants and conducting interviews.