Associate Investigator, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center (UPRCCC), San Juan, PR & Adjunct Professor, Department of Health Services Administration, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, PR
Email: marievelisse.soto1@upr.edu / msoto@cccupr.org
Complete list of publications: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/myncbi/1HQ0bbl7chE5f/bibliography/54062901/public/?sort=date&direction=ascending
Dr. Soto is an Associate Investigator at the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center (UPRCCC), and an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Health Services Administration, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus. Dr. Soto has a master in Sciences (MSc) in Epidemiology and a DrPH with a Specialty in Social Determinants of Health from the UPR Graduate School of Public Health. She completed the National Cancer Institute Summer Course in Cancer Prevention, The Principles, and Practice of Cancer Prevention and Control. In addition, she completed a postdoctoral research experience in Cancer Epidemiology at the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences in the UPRCCC in collaboration with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) located in Lyon, France. Dr. Soto has a broad background in epidemiology and biostatistics, with specific training and expertise in the design and statistical analysis of population-based studies and complex databases (e.g., PR Central Cancer Registry and PR Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System). Dr. Soto has been involved in the description of cancer health disparities in Puerto Rico as compared with other racial/ethnic groups in the US, using data from the PR Central Cancer Registry and SEER. Dr. Soto has strong research interests in cancer health disparities and infection (HIV, HPV, Hepatitis C, and H pylori) related cancers, which have been documented in more than 50 peer-reviewed publications in these areas. Her long-term research goal is to understand the social and structural factors that potentially influence access to cancer care among persons living with HIV. From 2020 to 2022, she was awarded a Diversity Supplement within the UPR/MDACC Partnership for Excellence in Cancer Research (NCI grant # U54CA096297) to develop risk prediction models for the detection of anal high-grade lesions among persons living with HIV and cervical high-grade lesions among women living in Latin America. In addition, she is an investigator in an NCI-funded research project (grant # U54CA242646) focused on the prevention of HPV-related cancers in HIV+ populations in Latin America and the Caribbean. She expanded her research experience to include natural disasters, cancer care, and qualitative research as a consultant in an NCI-funded research project (grant #R21CA239456) aimed to examine the effects of hurricanes Irma and Maria on cancer care disruptions among patients with breast and colorectal cancer in PR. Lastly, Dr. Soto is an Assistant Director and Mentor at the Cancer Prevention and Control (CAPAC) Research Training Program (NCI grant # R25CA240120) at the UPRCCC.
(Updated Aug 25, 2022)