Promoting AP involvement in Clinical Research: Highlighting Pathways in Community and Academic Settings

Christa Braun-Inglis was the first oncology nurse practitioner in the state of Hawaii. Dr. Braun-Inglis has been instrumental on the local and national level in expanding the role of advanced practice providers (APPs) in clinical trials. She has also advocated for cancer clinical trials in the community setting and diverse patient enrollment in clinical trials. With over 25 years of oncology nursing experience, she holds a dual role as both a nurse practitioner and an assistant researcher at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. She is also a clinical faculty member at the University of Hawaii School of Nursing. Through her efforts, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) revised their policies in 2021, empowering APPs to fully exercise their credentials and enroll patients in supportive care trials. In 2023, she received the National Cancer Institute’s Director’s Award. In addition, she is also the current Chair of the Research and Quality Improvement committee of APSHO.

Ms. Lisa A. Kottschade is an Associate Professor of Oncology and a Nurse Practitioner in the Melanoma and Cutaneous Oncology and Immunotherapy Toxicity Clinics at Mayo Clinic. Recently she was named the Chair of Research Committee for the Office of NP/PA in Rochester. She is the current President of APSHO as well as leads the Alliance Oncology Nursing Committee. Her clinical and research interests include those in the field of melanoma including its treatment and management of side effects from therapy with a special focus on those related to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors.

Mee-young Lee is a nurse practitioner with over 25 years of oncology experience. She earned her MSN from the University of Pennsylvania in 2006 and has held clinical roles at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Northwell Health, and St. Francis Heart Hospital. She currently practices at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, specializing in thoracic oncology. Mee-young is also an active member of the Research and Quality Improvement Committee of the Advanced Practitioner Society for Hematology and Oncology (APSHO).

Ashley received a Master of Science in nursing degree from University of Hawaii at Manoa. She has been a nurse practitioner in medical oncology and hematology for over 10 years. Ashley is a member of APSHO’s Research and Quality Initiative Task Force. She currently serves as co-chair for the CCDR/Symptom management disease site working group and member of the thoracic and hematology disease site working groups at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center. She has served as site PI for several CCDR/Symptom management clinical trials as well as serving as a non-physician investigator on cooperative group and industry therapeutic clinical trials. She also maintains an active role precepting nurse practitioner students.