Vanessa Sheppard

Vanessa Sheppard is a health behavior researcher at VCU whose research has elucidated the psychosocial, cultural, and systemic barriers that prevent minority cancer patients from participating in clinical trials. Her studies on decision-making processes, informed consent comprehension, and patient navigation interventions have identified effective strategies for improving diverse enrollment. Her culturally-tailored interventions for enhancing clinical trial participation among Black women with breast cancer have been adopted as models for community engagement.