Lynn Ibekwe-Agunanna, M.P.H., Ph.D. - Faculty Profile

Biography

Lynn N. Ibekwe-Agunanna, PhD, MPH, is an Assistant Professor in the Advancing Implementation & Improvement Science (AIIS) program at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. She holds a primary appointment in the Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences at the Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health and is a member of the Population Science and Cancer Control research program within the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Dr. Ibekwe-Agunanna is a behavioral scientist and implementation scientist with expertise in cancer prevention and control and health equity-focused research. Her work aims to reduce the disproportionate burden of cancer and other preventable diseases among medically underserved and marginalized communities in the U.S. She collaborates with healthcare organizations, health systems, and interdisciplinary research teams to develop and evaluate strategies that enhance the reach, adoption, integration, and sustainability of evidence-based interventions, particularly within safety-net healthcare settings.

Prior to joining UT Southwestern, Dr. Ibekwe-Agunanna completed a National Cancer Institute (NCI) T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship in Cancer Prevention at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where she later served as a Research Associate in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences. She earned her PhD in Behavioral Sciences from the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, where she also completed an NCI T32 predoctoral fellowship. She holds an MPH in Social and Behavioral Sciences from Boston University and a BA in Medicine, Health & Society and Sociology from Vanderbilt University.

Education

Graduate School: (2021)

Research Interest

Cancer Disparities
Cancer Prevention & Control
Health Behaviors Regarding Cancer
Health Disparities
Health Equity
Implementation Science

Publications

Featured Publications

Associations between perceived racial discrimination, racial residential segregation, and cancer screening adherence among low-income African Americans: a multilevel, cross-sectional analysis.: Ibekwe LN, Fernández-Esquer ME, Pruitt SL, Ranjit N, Fernández ME, Ethn Health 2023 Apr 28 3 313-334
Evaluation of a 2-1-1 Telephone Navigation Program to Increase Cancer Control Behaviors: Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial.: Fernandez ME, Savas LS, Atkinson JS, Ricks KB, Ibekwe LN, Jackson I, Castle PE, Jobe D, Vernon SW, Am J Health Promot 2022 Sep 36 7 1083-1093
Perceived Discrimination and Injury at Work: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Latino Day Laborers.: Ibekwe LN, Atkinson JS, Guerrero-Luera R, King YA, Rangel ML, Fernández-Esquer ME, J Immigr Minor Health 2022 Aug 24 4 987-995
Using Implementation Mapping to Develop Implementation Strategies for the Delivery of a Cancer Prevention and Control Phone Navigation Program: A Collaboration With 2-1-1.: Ibekwe LN, Walker TJ, Ebunlomo E, Ricks KB, Prasad S, Savas LS, Fernandez ME, Health Promot Pract 2022 Jan 23 1 86-97
Racism and Cancer Screening among Low-Income, African American Women: A Multilevel, Longitudinal Analysis of 2-1-1 Texas Callers.: Ibekwe LN, Fernández-Esquer ME, Pruitt SL, Ranjit N, Fernández ME, Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021 Oct 18 21
Structural Racism and Immigrant Health: Exploring the Association Between Wage Theft, Mental Health, and Injury among Latino Day Laborers.: Fernández-Esquer ME, Ibekwe LN, Guerrero-Luera R, King YA, Durand CP, Atkinson JS, Ethn Dis 2021 31 Suppl 1 345-356
The impact of social media ethnic discrimination on depressive symptoms in Hispanic emerging adults: The role of psychosocial factors: Okeke DA, Ibanez GE, Bursac Z, Sheehan DM, Frazier SL, Kotocavage LN, Ibekwe-Agunanna LN, Sullivan S, de Dios MA, Cano MA ?Emerging Adulthood 2025
Association between racial residential segregation and screening uptake for colorectal and cervical cancer among Black and White patients in five US health care systems.: Issaka RB, Ibekwe LN, Todd KW, Burnett-Hartman AN, Clark CR, Del Vecchio NJ, Kamineni A, Neslund-Dudas C, Chubak J, Corley DA, Haas JS, Honda SA, Li CI, Winer RL, Pruitt SL, Cancer 2024 Aug
Development of a Mapped Diabetes Community Program Guide for a Safety Net Population.: Zallman L, Ibekwe L, Thompson J, Ross-Degnan D, Oken E Diabetes Educ 2014 Apr

Honors & Awards

Office of Cancer Center Culture Leaders Innovating, Motivating, and Building (CLIMB) Leadership Development Program, Invited Scholar (2025 Cohort)
Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at UT Southwestern (2025-2025)
2024 Pilot Training Program on Advancing Health Equity through Implementation Science, Invited Health Equity Scholar
National Cancer Institute, Implementation Science Centers in Cancer Control (ISC3) (2024-2024)
Edith Peterson Mitchell, MD, Health Equity Travel Scholarship
ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (2024-2024)
NIH Loan Repayment Program (LRP) Competitive Renewal Award (2L60CA274795-02)
National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Health Disparities Research Track (2024-2025)
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Scholarship
NIH and AcademyHealth Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation in Health (2023-2023)
Health Disparities Research Institute (HDRI) Scholar
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (2022-2022)
NIH Loan Repayment Program (LRP) Award (1L60CA274795-01)
National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Health Disparities Research Track (2022-2024)
Delta Omega Honorary Public Health Society Inductee
(2021)
Postdoctoral Fellowship in Harvard Education Program in Cancer Prevention and Control
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health & Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (2021-2023)
Student and Early Career Investigator Scholarship
American Association for Cancer Research (2021-2021)
Dr. Oddis Calvin Turner Endowed Scholarship in Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences Award
UTHealth Houston School of Public Health (2020-2020)
Geographic Management of Cancer Health Disparities (GMaP) Region 3 Registration/ Membership Award
University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center (2019-2019)
Geographic Management of Cancer Health Disparities (GMaP) Region 3 Travel Award
University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center (2019-2019)
Predoctoral Fellowship in Cancer Prevention and Control Research Training and Career Development Program
UTHealth Houston School of Public Health (2017-2021)
Alpha Kappa Delta International Sociology Honor Society Inductee
(2011)
Competitive Merit Scholarship
Boston University School of Public Health (2011-2013)
Chancellor's Scholar
Vanderbilt University (2007-2008)
Community Scholarship Award
Trinity Foundation (2007-2011)

Professional Associations/Affiliations

Academy Health (2024)
Alpha Kappa Delta International Sociology Honor Society (2011)
American Association for Cancer Research (2019)
American Public Health Association (2013)
Delta Omega Honorary Public Health Society (2021)
Doctors for Change (2020-2021)
Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science (2022-2024)
National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (2022)
Society for the Analysis of African American Public Health Issues (2020)