PhD, MS

Missouri Cancer Registry and Research Center Director and Associate Research Professor

Director, Graduate Certificate Program for Informatics in Public Health

Dr. Zachary’s research is focused on cancer informatics and surveillance and public health informatics to maximize the use of data to improve health outcomes. Dr. Zachary’s cancer research collaboration aids the study of cancer diagnoses patterns and evaluation of cancer prevention plans.

As director of the Missouri Cancer Registry and Research Center, she has led the effort for the center to be added as one of seven Central Cancer Registries to the NCI SEER Program as MCR SEER Research Registry. Cancer registries provide reliable cancer data essential for planning and monitoring of cancer control programs, disease patterns, screening and prevention, and other types of research related to tumor characteristics and treatment.

Dr. Zachary also leads the Graduate Certificate Program for Informatics for Public Health with continued work and collaborations to connect communities, organizations and stakeholders, through informatics tools and information technology to build capacity to respond and prepare for future public health challenges and opportunities.

Education

• PhD in Informatics (Health Informatics Emphasis), University of Missouri, 2012
• MS in Health Informatics, University of Missouri, 2006
• BS in Information Science, University Stuttgart HBI, Germany, 1996

Areas of expertise

• Cancer Surveillance Informatics
• Public Health Informatics

Research interest

• Public health informatics
• Cancer informatics
• Chronic disease and condition data
• Public health research development
• Connected communities

Courses taught

• MU 7431 Foundations of Public Health Informatics
• MU 8545 Methods for Public Health Informatics/Biostatistics
• MU 8453 EMS Graduate Study
• MU 2950H Undergraduate General Honors
• MU 4950H Undergraduate Capstone Project Honors
• MU 7430 Introduction to Health Informatics
• MU 8550 Health Data Analytics

Active Grants

• Principal Investigator: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR), Missouri Cancer Registry. This project supports surveillance activities for the state-mandated Missouri Cancer Registry, aligning with CDC NPCR goals.
• Principal Investigator: Faculty Exchange Grant, University of Missouri. This project involves collaboration with the University of Western Cape to develop health data analytics for health professionals.
• Principal Investigator: National Cancer Institute (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program. This program aims to compile annual cancer statistics, monitor trends, and support cancer research through its data infrastructure.
• Principal Investigator: North American Association of Cancer Registries Virtual Pooled Registry (VPR). This study facilitates timely access to high-quality cancer surveillance data for linkage studies.

Selected Publications

1. Williams F, Oke A, Zachary I. Public health delivery in the information age: the role of informatics and technology. Perspectives in Public Health, 139(5):236-254, 2019.
2. Anakwe A, Majee W, Noel-London K, Zachary I, BeLue R. Sink or swim: Virtual life challenges among African American families during COVID-19 lockdown. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(8):4290, 2021.
3. Zachary I, Boren SA, Simoes EJ, Jackson-Thompson J, Davis JW, Hicks L. Information management in cancer registries: Evaluating the needs for cancer data collection and cancer research. Online Journal of Public Health Informatics, 7(2), 2015.
4. Jefferson UT, Zachary I, Majee W. Employing a user-centered design to engage mothers in the development of a mHealth breastfeeding application. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 37(10):522-531.

Awards

• 2023: Fellow of the American Medical Informatics Association (FAMIA)
• 2022: Exemplary Outstanding Leadership Award, APHA
• 2020: Ann K. Covington Mentor Award, University of Missouri
• 2017: Outstanding Leadership Service Award, APHA
• 2014: University Faculty Scholar, University of Missouri System

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