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By: Sally Crocker

UNTHSC School of Public Health student Shlesma Chhetri is no newcomer to making award-winning oral presentations, and this year she won her second Texas Public Health Association (TPHA) honor.

Chhetri recently came in first at the TPHA Annual Education Conference’s student oral presentation competition for her talk on “Getting on the same page for breast health knowledge and prevention.”

The presentation was based on results of a breast cancer screening day evaluation project sponsored by a Susan G. Komen Greater Fort Worth community grant, supporting efforts of the Tarrant County Cancer Disparities Coalition.

“Shlesma is an exceptionally great presenter and won this top TPHA award in 2015 as well,” said faculty mentor Emily Spence-Almaguer, PhD, MSW, who serves as SPH Associate Dean for Community Engagement and Health Equity and as Community Outreach Core Director for the Texas Center for Health Disparities.

Chhetri, a public health PhD candidate, reported this year on ways that the Komen community grant for Greater Mount Tabor Christian Center in Fort Worth was able to evaluate the level of breast health awareness among Tarrant County women through data from screening day and community breast health educator trainings.

“While the study reflected a lack of knowledge regarding breast cancer risk and symptoms among participants, the brief training offered information that helped improve their awareness,” Chhetri said.

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