Deborah Manst, MD MPH
Oncogeneralist
Young
and a
Survivor
Young And A Survivor (YAAS!) Network for Health Equity for Young Breast Cancer Survivors brings together healthcare providers, community-based organizations, young survivors, metastatic thrivers, and co-survivors to to bring resources and services to young women in Chicago affected by breast cancer, their co-survivors, and their communities.
The YAAS! Network is especially focused on young women who have limited access to resources and support because of systemic or structural barriers, including race, color, ethnicity, sexual orientation, sexual identity, disability, education, income, citizenship status, or language. The YAAS! Network provides education and training to healthcare providers and community-based health workers to increase awareness of the needs of young women affected by breast cancer to provide young women with the support they need.
Our Mission
Advocate for comprehensive, high quality, supportive care for all young women in Chicago affected by breast cancer, their families, and their communities.
Our Vision
Develop a sustainable collaborative infrastructure to support and enhance the work of all providers who deliver services to young women in Chicago who are affected by breast cancer.
Meet the
team
Liza Papautsky
Program Director
Hello, I'm Liza!
Program Director
My pronouns are She/Her/Hers
Liza (pronounced Leeza) Papautsky, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical & Health Information Sciences at University of Illinois Chicago. Her work is focused on characterizing how patients acquire knowledge and make decisions across their patient journey within and outside of the healthcare system. She collaborates with patient advocates, clinicians, and scientists to inform solutions that meet people where they are. She earned her M.S. and Ph.D. at Wright State University in Dayton, OH where she studied human factors psychology, a field that is focused on studying, developing, and implementing human-centered support.
Dr. Tamara Hamlish
YAAS! Project Director
Hello, I'm Dr. Tamara!
YAAS! Project Director
My pronouns are She/Her/Hers
Tamara Hamlish, Ph.D. is a Research Scientist at the University of Illinois Cancer Center and Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine. Her work investigates the critical role of survivor experiences for disparities across the cancer care continuum, from prevention and screening to palliative care and hospice. In collaboration with multi-disciplinary teams, she also leads efforts to build healthcare capacity and workforce development for survivorship care in communities that experience structural and systemic barriers to high quality care. She earned her M.A. and PhD. From the University of Chicago.
YAAS! Expert Panel
Our YAAS! Expert Panelists consists of a group of diverse women all diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 45. Our experts provide expertise and guidance on lived experiences of young breast cancer survivors for project planning, strategies and implementation.
Meet the YAAS Network
University of Illinois Chicago
Recognized as one of the most ethnically rich and culturally diverse campuses in the nation, the University of Illinois at Chicago is Chicago’s largest university and only public research institution.
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UI Health
UI Health delivers comprehensive healthcare services, education, and research to a diverse urban patient population with a mission to provide quality healthcare in underserved communities across Chicago.
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