Research Summary

I have over 25 years of research experience conducting studies in health disparities among underserved US minority populations, with a particular emphasis on Latino health. Born and initially educated in Argentina, I obtained advanced degrees in the US in public health. I am currently a professor in the Department of Medicine at UCSF, Director of the Medical Effectiveness Research Center, and a co-director of the Investigator Core of the Center for Aging in Diverse Communities.

From the beginning of my research career, I have focused my efforts on examining health disparities across the cancer-care continuum. I have examined cancer prevention among adolescents; conducted studies in cervical, breast and colorectal cancer screening and follow-up of abnormalities; studied treatment decision making after cancer diagnosis among Latina women; and looked at recruitment barriers, facilitators, and strategies for improving minority participation in cancer-related research.

My research has included epidemiological studies and assessing barriers to and facilitators of health behaviors, as well as the development, implementation, and evaluation of health interventions to improve health outcomes. Participants in my studies have different language preferences and are of diverse ethnic backgrounds, age groups, levels of education, occupations, and socioeconomic and health statuses. I have used a variety of venues and methods for recruiting minorities and people of lower socioeconomic status, including clinic panels, population registries, random-digit dialing, and direct contact.

I have a long history of utilizing qualitative and quantitative research methods with health care organization representatives, health providers and patients. My research has been funded by federal and state agencies and private foundations, and my publications represent diverse areas of research.

Research Funding

  • September 30, 1997 - June 30, 2023 - Center for Aging in Diverse Communities: Ending Health Inequities in Older Adults , Co-Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: P30AG015272
  • April 12, 2016 - March 31, 2021 - Comparison of 3 Modes of Genetic Counseling in High-Risk Public Hospital Patients , Co-Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA197784
  • September 20, 2002 - August 31, 2014 - Tobacco Control Research and Training in South America , Co-Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01DA024877
  • September 27, 2006 - August 31, 2010 - CIS-Initiated Calls: Can We Enhance Information Services for Latino Patients? , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R21CA126390

Education

University of Buenos Aires-Argentina, B.A., 1979, Sociology
University of California, Los Angeles, M.P.H., 1982, Public Health
University of California, Los Angeles, M.A., 1983, Latin Am. Studies
University of California, Los Angeles, Dr.P.H., 1990, Public Health

Selected Publications

  1. Wernli KJ, Smith RE, Henderson LM, Zhao W, Durham DD, Schifferdecker K, Kaplan C, Buist DSM, Kerlikowske K, Miglioretti DL, Onega T, Alsheik NH, Sprague BL, Jackson-Nefertiti G, Budesky J, Johnson D, Tosteson ANA. Decision quality and regret with treatment decisions in women with breast cancer: Pre-operative breast MRI and breast density. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2022 Aug; 194(3):607-616.  View on PubMed
  2. Borno HT, Zhang L, Zhang S, Kaplan C, Palmer NR, Bell A, Bakke B, Lin A, Aggarwal R, Small EJ. Mobile Clinical Trial Matching Technology in Medical Oncology Clinic: A Pilot Feasibility Study. JCO Clin Cancer Inform. 2022 05; 6:e2100182.  View on PubMed
  3. Lowenstein M, Karliner L, Livaudais-Toman J, Gregorich S, Velazquez AI, Vijayaraghavan M, Walsh JME, Kaplan CP. Barriers and Facilitators to Lung Cancer Screening: A Physician Survey. Am J Health Promot. 2022 Sep; 36(7):1208-1212.  View on PubMed
  4. Hala T. Borno, Sylvia Zhang, Tracy Kuo Lin, Li Zhang, Nynikka R. Palmer, Christopher Nguyen, Celia Kaplan, Charles J. Ryan. Evaluating the impact of financial toxicity among cancer clinical trial participants. International Journal of Cancer Care and Delivery. 2022 Jan 3.  View on PubMed
  5. Rosa Guerra, Celia Kaplan, Hala Borno, Edwin Alvarez, Jocelyn Chapman, Megan Swanson, Stefanie Ueda, Lee-may Chen. What do you know? The role of race/ethnicity in clinical trial knowledge among patients with a gynecologic malignancy. Gynecologic Oncology. 2022 Jan 1; 164(1):21-22.  View on PubMed
  6. Chu JN, Kaplan C, Lee JS, Livaudais-Toman J, Karliner L. Increasing Telehealth Access to Care for Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic at an Academic Medical Center: Video Visits for Elders Project (VVEP). Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf. 2022 03; 48(3):173-179.  View on PubMed
  7. Lee R, Frick M, Joseph G, Guerra C, Stewart S, Kaplan C, Dixit N, Tsoh JY, Flores S, Pasick RJ. Research to reduce inequities in cancer risk services: Insights for remote genetic counseling in a pandemic and beyond. J Genet Couns. 2021 10; 30(5):1292-1297.  View on PubMed
  8. Kaplan CP, Karliner L, Lee A, Livaudais-Toman J, Tice JA, Ozanne E. Acceptability of an mHealth breast cancer risk-reduction intervention promoting risk assessment, education, and discussion of risk in the primary care setting. Mhealth. 2021; 7:54.  View on PubMed
  9. Esserman L, Eklund M, Veer LV, Shieh Y, Tice J, Ziv E, Blanco A, Kaplan C, Hiatt R, Fiscalini AS, Yau C, Scheuner M, Naeim A, Wenger N, Lee V, Heditsian D, Brain S, Parker BA, LaCroix AZ, Madlensky L, Hogarth M, Borowsky A, Anton-Culver H, Kaster A, Olopade OI, Sheth D, Garcia A, Lancaster R, Plaza M. The WISDOM study: a new approach to screening can and should be tested. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2021 Oct; 189(3):593-598.  View on PubMed
  10. Palmer NR, Borno HT, Gregorich SE, Livaudais-Toman J, Kaplan CP. Prostate cancer patients' self-reported participation in research: an examination of racial/ethnic disparities. Cancer Causes Control. 2021 Oct; 32(10):1161-1172.  View on PubMed
  11. Kornbluth L, Kaplan CP, Diamond L, Karliner LS. Communication methods between outpatients with limited-English proficiency and ancillary staff: LASI study results. Patient Educ Couns. 2022 01; 105(1):246-249.  View on PubMed
  12. Garcia ME, Hinton L, Gregorich SE, Livaudais-Toman J, Kaplan CP, Feldman M, Karliner L. Primary Care Physician Recognition and Documentation of Depressive Symptoms Among Chinese and Latinx Patients During Routine Visits: A Cross-Sectional Study. Health Equity. 2021; 5(1):236-244.  View on PubMed
  13. Hala Borno, Sylvia Zhang, Scarlett Lin Gomez, Celia Kaplan, Christine Miaskowski, Julian Hong, Dame Idossa, Adina Bailey, Eric Jay Small. Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with genitourinary malignancies. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2021 Feb 20; 39(6_suppl):38-38.  View on PubMed
  14. Lee CI, Zhu W, Onega T, Henderson LM, Kerlikowske K, Sprague BL, Rauscher GH, O'Meara ES, Tosteson ANA, Haas JS, diFlorio-Alexander R, Kaplan C, Miglioretti DL. Comparative Access to and Use of Digital Breast Tomosynthesis Screening by Women's Race/Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Status. JAMA Netw Open. 2021 02 01; 4(2):e2037546.  View on PubMed
  15. Robin Lee, Miya Frick, Celia Kaplan, Galen Joseph, Janice Tsoh, Selina Flores, Niharika Dixit, Heather Cedermaz, Lly Wang, Amal Khoury, Brittany Campbell, Rena Pasick, Claudia S. Guerra, Susan L. Stewart. Abstract PO-012: Acceptance and refusal among multi-lingual safety net patients to participate in a trial comparing genetic counseling delivery modes. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention. 2020 Nov 30; 29(12_Supplement):po-012-po-012.  View on PubMed
  16. Rena J Pasick, Susan L. Stewart, Robin Lee, Claudia Guerra, Celia Kaplan, Galen Joseph, Selina Flores, Janice Tsoh, Niharika Dixit, Miya Frick, Heather Cedermaz, Lily Wong, Amal Khoury, Brittany Campbell. Abstract PO-051: Genetic counseling for high-risk public hospital patients: A randomized and preference-based trial compares delivery in person, by phone, and video. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention. 2020 Nov 30; 29(12_Supplement):po-051-po-051.  View on PubMed
  17. Gould MK, Altman DE, Creekmur B, Qi L, de Bie E, Golden S, Kaplan CP, Kelly K, Miglioretti DL, Mularski RA, Musigdilok VV, Smith-Bindman R, Steltz JP, Wiener RS, Aberle DR, Dyer DS, Vachani A. Guidelines for the Evaluation of Pulmonary Nodules Detected Incidentally or by Screening: A Survey of Radiologist Awareness, Agreement, and Adherence From the Watch the Spot Trial. J Am Coll Radiol. 2021 Apr; 18(4):545-553.  View on PubMed
  18. Roter DL, Gregorich SE, Diamond L, Livaudais-Toman J, Kaplan C, Pathak S, Karliner L. Loss of patient centeredness in interpreter-mediated primary care visits. Patient Educ Couns. 2020 11; 103(11):2244-2251.  View on PubMed
  19. Palmer NR, Shim JK, Kaplan CP, Schillinger D, Blaschko SD, Breyer BN, Pasick RJ. Ethnographic investigation of patient-provider communication among African American men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer: a study protocol. BMJ Open. 2020 08 05; 10(8):e035032.  View on PubMed
  20. Nouri SS, Pathak S, Livaudais-Toman J, Gregorich SE, Kaplan CP, Diamond L, Karliner L. Use and Usefulness of After-Visit Summaries by Language and Health Literacy among Latinx and Chinese Primary Care Patients. J Health Commun. 2020 08 02; 25(8):632-639.  View on PubMed

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