Associate Director

Brenda Adjei, Ed.D., M.P.A., directs CCR’s institutional efforts to monitor and improve the accessibility, reach, inclusion and diversity of NCI’s leading clinical research program.  She works collaboratively with patients, caregivers, clinical team members, clinical and community partners to tailor and implement evidence-informed initiatives that result in the delivery of optimal cancer care for all populations.

Dr. Adjei’s prior scientific leadership and community engagement experience in NCI disparities research programs include the NCI Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP), National Outreach Network (NON), and the NCI Community Oncology Research Program’s (NCORP) Cancer Care Delivery and Disparities Integration components. Previously, as a Senior Scientist/Program Director in the NCI’s Healthcare Delivery Research Program within the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, she worked on collaborative initiatives that addressed social risks in cancer care, as well as the implementation of surgical, immigrant health, cancer control equity, and multisectoral structural interventions.

Dr. Adjei received a B.S. from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, an M.P.A. in Health Services Management from New York University, an Ed.D. in health education and behavioral sciences from Teachers College, Columbia University, and post-doctoral training at the State University of New York at Downstate in health disparities and community-engaged research.

Program Staff

Jessica Byrne, M.P.H., Referral Networks Program Manager, establishes relationships with external clinical partners and institutions to promote awareness of and strengthen patient referral networks to CCR clinical trials. Jessica previously worked in the CCR’s Office of the Clinical Director in the Neuro-Oncology Branch (2000–2005) and the Radiation Oncology Branch (2005–2009) as a Patient Care Coordinator and Clinical Program Administrator, respectively. Jessica spent four years in Ireland working in higher education at Trinity College Dublin School of Medicine and University College Dublin. While with the Northwell Health System in New York, she also worked on Delivery System Reform Incentive Program (DSRIP) projects focused on community and patient engagement. Jessica has a B.S. from the University of Delaware and an M.P.H. in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention from George Washington University.

Katrina Makres, M.P.H., Health Science Program Analyst, applies her skills in health equity research and practice to support CCR’s efforts to expand and improve the accessibility, reach, and inclusion in CCR clinical trials. She supports data-driven projects focused on advancing our understanding of the patients that CCR serves, in particular patients’ experience and catchment area analyses. Katrina joined HDE in July 2023 as a Cancer Research Training Award Fellow. She received her B.S. in Biology and her M.P.H. with a concentration in Health Equity from the University of Maryland. Katrina’s past research experience focused on understanding the impact of community sentiment regarding racism on health outcomes and analyzing mental wellness program data with local law enforcement organizations. In her free time, Katrina likes to read, hike and hopes to one day visit every national park in the US.

Melayshia McFadden, Ph.D., M.S.C.R., Clinical Trials Engagement Program Manager, coordinates HDE’s strategic community engagement initiatives. She will establish partnerships in response to identified healthcare delivery barriers and develop strategies to assess progress related to community engagement metrics and clinical trials participation.

Dr. McFadden’s post-doctoral and translational research experience at the Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina and Morehouse School of Medicine, include employing innovative methodologies and nanoparticle-mediated therapeutic approaches for ovarian cancer treatment. With a passion for community engagement, she organized numerous outreach events to raise awareness of clinical trials, communicated complex scientific data effectively to diverse audiences, and provided education and screening services to medically underserved populations. Melayshia holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences and Masters of Science in Clinical Research from Morehouse School of Medicine.