Take Charge of Your Health: Understanding Cancer Research and Health Literacy

Dr. Jenni Sheng is assistant professor of oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Sheng mainly treats people diagnosed with breast cancer and helps them live with, through, and beyond cancer by working with her patients to create the best treatment plans and manage any side effects treatment may cause.

Dr. Sheng is also a research member of GRASP — Guiding Researchers and Advocates to Scientific Partnerships — a nonprofit that connects cancer researchers and advocates so they can learn from each other.

A journalist with more than 35 years of experience covering a wide range of science and health topics, senior editor Jamie DePolo reports on the latest breast cancer research for the Research News program and also interviews prominent scientists, advocates, and other people affected by breast cancer as host of The Breastcancer.org Podcast, which has been honored with several Digital Health and eHealthcare awards. DePolo also helps script and produce award-winning videos telling patient stories and explaining breast cancer research.

While her work at Breastcancer.org focuses on oncology, she has also written in-depth articles on sustainability, nutrition, chemistry, physics, agriculture, social and behavioral science, and veterinary medicine.

DePolo has a master’s degree in English literature, a bachelor’s degree in journalism, and an associate’s degree in black and white photography.

As a communications manager at Michigan State University, her work was honored with several awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), as well as an American Advertising Federation Lansing Addy award. In 2017, she was named a Logan Science Journalism Fellow and also was appointed to the Cooper University Hospital Bioethics Committee. DePolo is a member of the National Association of Science Writers and the Philadelphia Area Science Writers Association. At Michigan State, DePolo also was an adjunct instructor, teaching a senior-level communications class each fall semester. Besides Michigan State, DePolo also worked in communications at the Michigan Dental Association, the New Jersey State Bar Association, the Chemical Heritage Foundation, and Drexel University.

Dr. Weiss is regarded as a visionary advocate for her innovative and steadfast approach to informing people how to protect their breast health and overcome the challenges of breast cancer. Dr. Weiss currently practices at Paoli Hospital and Lankenau Medical Center, where she serves as director of breast radiation oncology and director of breast health outreach. Learn more.