A recent graduate from Arizona State University, and current student at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Florence (Flo) Awde is a dedicated scholar specializing in Child Health, Public Health, Childhood Cancer health equity, and Transborder Health Studies. In her Master’s project at Arizona State University “Beliefs, Attitudes, and Understanding of Childhood Cancer Among White and Latino Parents in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area: A Comparative Study”, Flo spearheaded a research study exploring the inequalities across ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geographic regions of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area in parent’s perception/understanding of childhood cancer symptoms, services, and survivability to further academia’s understanding of the importance of health literacy and culturally competent efforts needed to break down barriers to children receiving cancer diagnostic/treatment services earlier in the course of their disease. Now working on her Master’s of Science in Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, Flo continues to research issues of childhood cancer, health inequities, and health disparities.

Beyond academics, Flo Awde is passionate about community engagement, service, and leadership. From spearheading initiatives to promote equitable education to volunteering with several childhood cancer support organizations and coaching youth in various sports across North America, Flo is committed to making a positive impact on youth’s lives both locally and globally. With a diverse skill set including proficiency in Spanish, research methodology, and community engagement, Flo Awde is eager to help address the complex public health challenges embedded in issues of childhood cancer globally with empathy, expertise, and dedication.