Darryl Somayaji, PhD, RN, CNS, CCRC
Assistant Professor; Adjunct Assistant Professor of Oncology, Cancer Screening & Survivorship at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
ADDRESS:
School of Nursing
University at Buffalo
201C Wende Hall
Buffalo, NY 14214-3079
PHONE: 716-829-2178
EMAIL: darrylso@buffalo.edu
Darryl Somayaji earned her BSN from Niagara University. She went on to earn an MSN from D'Youville College with a focus on community health and teaching, as well as her PhD in Nursing from the University of Utah. She recently completed a postdoctoral research fellowship in cancer and health disparities from the Dana Farber/Harvard Cancer Center and the University of Massachusetts Boston. Her research areas of interest include cancer and health disparities with a focus on access to care in cancer survivorship and recruitment and retention of underserved individuals to cancer clinical trials.
Education
- Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Cancer and Health Disparities, Dana Farber/Harvard Cancer Center/ University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA
- PhD, University of Utah School of Nursing, Salt Lake City, UT
- MSN, Community Health Nursing, Clinical Nurse Specialist, D’Youville College, Buffalo, NY
- BSN, Niagara University, Niagara Falls, NY
- RN Diploma Program, Gowanda Psychiatric Center School of Nursing, Gowanda, NY
Areas of Research
- Cancer and health disparities
- Access to cancer care resources (e.g. prevention, screening, treatment and supportive
- Cancer survivorship
- Community-based research
- Data science and access to health services
Teaching Responsibilities
- NCG 533 Teaching in Nursing
- NCG 692 Grantsmanship
- NUR 700 Advanced Theory Construction and Development
- NUS 702 Dissertation Seminar
- NUS 739 Philosophy of Science
Recent Publications
Somayaji, D., Melendez, M., Kwon, M., & Lathan, C. (2019). Access to cancer care resources in a federally qualified health center: A mixed methods study to increase the understanding of met and unmet needs of cancer survivors. Journal of Cancer Education, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-019-01669-1
Somayaji, D., Blok, A., Hayman, L., Colson, Y., Jaklisch, M., & Cooley, M. E. (2019) Enhancing behavioral change among lung cancer survivors participating in a lifestyle risk reduction intervention: A qualitative study. Supportive Care in Cancer, 27(4), 1299-1308.
Somayaji, D., & Bellury, L. (2019). Post-treatment and survivorship care. In M. M. Olsen, K. B., LeFebvre, & K. J. Brassil (Eds.), Chemotherapy and immunotherapy guidelines and recommendations for practice (pp.597-614). Pittsburgh, PA: Oncology Nursing Society.
Somayaji, D., Chang, Y. P., Casucci, S., Xue, Y., & Hewner, S. (2018). Exploring Medicaid claims data to understand predictors of healthcare utilization and mortality for Medicaid individuals with or without a diagnosis of lung cancer: A feasibility study. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 8(3), 400-408.
Blok, A. C., Blonquist, T. M., Nayak, M. M., Somayaji, D., Crouter, S. E., Hayman, L. L. ... & Cooley, M. E. (2017). Feasibility and acceptability of “healthy directions” a lifestyle intervention for adults with lung cancer. Psycho‐Oncology, 27(1), 250-257.
Sriphanlop, P., Crookes, D., DeMairo, K., Somayaji, D., Killack, M., McFarlane, A., LePere, J., & Jandorf, L. (2016). New York state health care provider participation in clinical trials: A brief report. Annals of Cancer Research. doi:10.7243/2049-7962-5-3
Crookes, D., Wang, C., Karen R. DeMairo, K., Killack, M., LePere, J., McFarlane, A., Somayaji, D. ... & Jandorf, L. (2015). Perceptions about participation in cancer clinical trials in New York state. The Journal of Community and Supportive Oncology, 13(2), 1-11.
Somayaji D, & Cloyes, K. G. (2015). Cancer fear and fatalism: How African American participants construct the role of research subject in relation to clinical cancer research. Cancer Nursing, 38(2), 133-44.
Naholi, R., Nosek, C. L., & Somayaji, D. (2015). Stress among new oncology nurses. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, 19(1), 115-117.
Somayaji D, & Cloyes, K. G. (2014). Uniting postcolonial, discourse, and linguistic theory to explore participation of African Americans in cancer research as an effect of social and historical race relationships. ANS Advancing Nursing Science, 37(1), 32-47.
Honors and Awards
- Dean's Award for Excellence in Research Scholarship, University at Buffalo School of Nursing, 2018
- Gregory J. Dimitriadis Research Mentoring Fellowship, Civic Engagement and Public Policy (CEPP), 2014-2015
- Patient Service Award, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Western and Central New York, 2010
- Nursing Doctorate Scholarship/ACS Fellow, American Cancer Society, 2009-2011
- Nursing Doctorate Scholarship/ACS Fellow, American Cancer Society 2007-2009
- Award for Excellence in Oncology Nursing, Western New York Chapter of Oncology Nursing Society, 2006
- Nurse of Distinction Award, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, 2005
Professional Activities
- Member, Oncology Nursing Society
- Member, Oncology Nursing Society Advanced Nursing Research Special Interest Group
- Member, Western New York Chapter of Oncology Nursing Society
- Member, International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care
- Member, International Conference on Cancer Nursing Planning Committee
- Member, American Nurses Association
- Member, Society of Behavioral Medicine
- Member, Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society, Gamma Chapter
- Member, Council for Advancement of Nursing Science
- Member, Eastern Nursing Research Society
- Member, New York State Cancer Consortium
- Member, New York State Cancer Consortium Steering Committee
- Member, New York State Cancer Consortium Communication Committee
Grants
Current
You Cannot Change Your Family History, but You Can Change What You Do With It: A Peer-Based Education Program to Reduce Breast Cancer Risk in African American Women
Term: 2019-2022
Role: Co-Investigator (Co-PIs: Laurene Tumiel-Berhalter & Cherrise Walker-Betts)
Funding Source: New York State Department of Health
Award Amount: $250,000
Abstract: The goal of this study is to reduce morbidity and mortality from breast cancer among African American women by actively engaging family history as a tool to modify screening regimens and enhance communication between women and their providers.
Patient Voices Fights Center
Term: 2019-2020
Role: Co-investigator (PI: Laurene Tumiel-Berhalter)
Funding Source: Erie County Department of Health
Award Amount: $225,000
Abstract: This project fosters patient and provider conversations that will build awareness of cancer risks to activate screening. Community-based partners will develop and deploy an innovative outreach approach that will use “patients as teachers” in a modified version of the academic detailing model that we will refer to as “engagement detailing.”
Completed
Linking New York State Databases to Identify Risk Factors and Gaps in Care for Rural and Urban Health Disparities in Lung Cancer
Term: 2018-2019
Role: Principal Investigator (Multiple interdisciplinary co-investigators)
Funding Source: University at Buffalo CTSI
Award Amount: $50,000
Exploring Medicaid Calins-Data: Understanding the Role of Health Utilization in Low Income Lung Cancer Survivors
Term: 2017-2018
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Source: Patricia H. Garman Behavioral Health Nursing Endowment Fund
Award Amount: $10,000
Civic Engagement and Public Policy (CEPP)
Term: 2015-2016
Role: Principal Investigator (Mentored Research Support)
Funding Source: Gregory J. Dimitriadis Research Mentoring Fellowship
Award Amount: $5,000
Exploring Cancer Survivorship in an Urban Community Health Center
Term: 2014-2015
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Source: Dana Farber/Harvard Cancer Center
Award Amount: $20,000