Biography
Dr. Blair received a B.S. degree in Computer Science from Minnesota State University, Mankato. She earned her MPH and PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Minnesota (2003 and 2011). She then completed a postdoctoral fellowship on the NCI R25 Cancer Prevention and Control Training Program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Personal Statement
My research program focuses on developing lifestyle behavior change interventions to improve the physical health and quality of life of cancer survivors. My primary research interests include physical activity and the interface between aging and cancer. Many older cancer survivors are faced with both age- and treatment-related morbidities that threaten their ability to maintain physical functioning, mobility, and independent living. I am energized by both the opportunities and challenges of improving the health and well-being of this population. My current research involves the design and evaluation of interventions that utilize a whole-of-day approach to physical activity. This approach focuses on increasing light-intensity activity throughout the day, while reducing and disrupting sedentary activity. The short-term goal is to encourage older cancer survivors to reduce sedentary behavior, adopt and maintain an active lifestyle, and improve or maintain physical functioning. The ultimate goal is to improve both the quality and quantity of years lived beyond the cancer diagnosis and treatment. My research program includes home- and technology-based interventions to reach the underserved and understudied survivor populations, especially older individuals from racial-ethnic minorities and rural dwellers, who may be unable to travel to clinical research centers to participate in research studies.
Areas of Specialty
Cancer Survivorship
Lifestyle Behavior Change Interventions
Health Promotion Programs
Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior
Quality of Life
Achievements & Awards
National Cancer Institute Cancer Prevention, Control, Behavioral Sciences, and Population Sciences Career Development Award (K07), 2018-2023
National Cancer Institute Cancer Prevention and Control Training Program (R25 CA047888) Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, 2011-2013
Gender
Female
Languages
- English
Courses Taught
Cancer Disparities
Cancer Epidemiology
Research and Scholarship
1.Blair CK, Adsul P, Guest DD, Sussman AL, Cook LS, Harding EM, Rodman J, Duff D, Burgess E, Quezada K, Brown-Glaberman U, King TV, Baca E, Dayao Z, Pankratz VS, Davis SM, Demark-Wahnefried W. Southwest Harvest for Health: An adapted mentored vegetable gardening intervention for cancer survivors. Nutrients, 2021, 13(7), 2319; doi.org/10.3390/nu13072319.
2.Blair CK, Harding E, Herman C, Boyce T, Demark-Wahnefried W, Davis S, Kinney AY, Pankratz VS. Remote assessment of functional mobility and strength in older cancer survivors: protocol for a validity and reliability study. JMIR Res Protoc, 2020; 9(9): e20834.
3.Blair CK, Harding EM, Adsul P, Moran S, Guest D, Clough K, Sussman AL, Duff D, Cook LS, Rodman J, Dayao Z, Brown-Glaberman U, King TV, Pankratz VS, Servin E, Davis SM, Demark-Wahnefried W. Southwest Harvest for Health: Adapting a mentored vegetable gardening intervention for cancer survivors in the Southwest. Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021 Feb 11;21:100741. doi: 10.1016/j.conctc.2021.100741. eCollection 2021 Mar.
4.Blair CK, Jacobs DR, Demark-Wahnefried W, Cohen HJ, Morey MC, Robien K, Lazovich D. Effects of Cancer History on Functional Age and Mortality. Cancer, 2019; 125(23):4303-4309. PMCID: PMC6856392.
5.Blair CK, Morey MC, Desmond RA, Cohen HJ, Sloane R, Snyder DC, Demark-Wahnefried W. Light-intensity activity attenuates functional decline in older cancer survivors. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2014; 46(7):1375-1383. PMCID: PMC4061152.