National Cancer Institute
National Cancer Institute U.S. National Institutes of Health www.cancer.gov
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Shannon Bell / Director
Shannon Bell Shannon K. Bell is the Director of the Office of Advocacy Relations for the National Cancer Institute. This office, which is part of the immediate Office of the NCI Director, is responsible for engaging the advocacy and NCI communities in dialogue about cancer research opportunities and priorities in order to advance progress and improve outcomes. Prior to this appointment, Ms. Bell was the Deputy Director of the NCI Office of Workforce Development. Ms. Bell's interest in advocacy is long standing and has crossed numerous populations including children, families, the elderly and disabled. Ms. Bell holds a Masters in Social Work from the University of Wyoming.
Email: bells@mail.nih.gov
Telephone: (301) 594-3194
Amy Bulman / Advocacy Relations Manager
  Amy Bulman is an Advocacy Relations Manager in OAR. Amy came to OAR from NCI’s Office of Communication and Education where she provided communications support for many of NCI’s advanced technology research programs. Prior to joining NCI, Amy worked for several NIH Institutes, including NCI, as a communications consultant. Amy graduated from the University of Maryland with a B.S. in Community Health Education.
Email: williaam@mail.nih.gov
Telephone: (301) 496-9723
Benjamin Carollo / Advocacy Relations Manager
  Ben Carollo is an Advocacy Relations Manager in the Office of Advocacy Relations and serves as the Executive Secretary for NCI's Director's Consumer Liaison Group. Ben came to OAR after completing NCI's Presidential Management Fellowship Program, during which time he had the opportunity to complete a detail in OAR. Prior to joining NCI, he served in various positions in higher education administration and local government. Mr. Carollo received a Bachelor of Science in Public Affairs as well as a Master of Public Affairs from Indiana University.
Email: carollob@mail.nih.gov
Telephone: (301) 594-3194
James Hadley / Advocacy Relations Manager
James Hadley James Hadley is an Advocacy Relations Manager in the Office of Advocacy Relations at the National Cancer Institute. He came to NCI from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), where he was the Public Liaison Officer in the Office of Communications and Public Liaison. Mr. Hadley completed the NIH Cadre Management Program in 2000. The highly competitive 18-month program provides leadership training and developmental opportunities. He received a bachelor's degree in journalism from San Jose State University in California, and earned a master's degree in mass communications from Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Email: nciadvocacy@mail.nih.gov
Telephone: (301) 594-3194
Brooke Hamilton Leggin / Advocacy Relations Manager
Brooke Hamilton Leggin Brooke Hamilton Leggin is an Advocacy Relations Manager in OAR, previously having served in various positions in OAR since 2001. She currently works on special projects and focuses on website work, relationship building and meeting coordination, database management and information dissemination. A three-time melanoma survivor, Brooke brings a unique blend of personal cancer experience and knowledge of the research process to OAR. Before joining OAR, Ms. Leggin was a Ph.D. student in Applied Social Psychology at the George Washington University, where her research interests were in behavioral health psychology and cancer. Brooke graduated magna cum laude from Randolph-Macon College in 1996 with a B.A. in Psychology and English.
Email.: legginb@mail.nih.gov
Telephone.: (301) 594-3194
Elizabeth Neilson / Advocacy Relations Manager
Elizabeth Neilson Elizabeth Neilson is OAR's primary contact for issues regarding current CARRA members, program orientation and training, and staff requests for consumer involvement in NCI activities. In addition, she also serves on the steering committee for TEAM Up, a national partnership to promote cervical and breast cancer screening among rarely and never screened women using evidence-based interventions. Ms. Neilson received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Emory University, as well as a Master of Public Health and a Master of Science in Nursing from Johns Hopkins University.
Email: ncicarra@mail.nih.gov
Telephone: (301) 451-3321
Linda Ticker / Program Assistant
Linda Ticker Linda Ticker is the administrative focal point for the office. She has over 15 years of administrative experience, both inside the Federal Government and in the private sector. Her previous NIH activities include positions in the NIH Executive Secretariat, the Neurology Information Office, and NCI's Office of Communications. Most recently, she currently serves as the administrative information portal for the Director's Consumer Liaison Group (DCLG) as well as for the Office of Advocacy Relations. She holds a B.S. Degree in Family and Community Development from the University of Maryland at College Park.
Email: tickerl@mail.nih.gov
Telephone: (301) 435-7788
Virginia Hill / Presidential Management Fellow
Virginia Hill Virginia Hill is a Presidential Management Fellow, finishing the program in August 2009. She will be working on a variety of projects within OAR, including the Advocates in Research Working Group, while she is here for a 3-month rotation (January through March, 2009). Virginia earned her Master of Social Work from Louisiana State University in May 2007, concentrating in clinical practice and interpersonal communication. Virginia has done 4 rotations throughout NIH so far, with a focus on communications, public affairs, and strategic planning.
Email: hillvi@mail.nih.gov
Telephone: (301) 594-9896
Sharon McCarthy / Health Communications Fellow
  Sharon McCarthy joined the Office of Advocacy Relations (OAR) as a health communications fellow in January 2009. She will be  involved in a variety of projects within OAR, including the Understanding NCI Toll-Free Teleconference Series, interoffice webinars, the Advocates in Research Working Group, and the evaluation of OAR activities. Ms. McCarthy received her Bachelor of Science in Marketing with a minor in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. She is currently a candidate for a dual Masters Degree in Public Health and Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh. Ms. McCarthy served as a Research Assistant for the University of Pittsburgh Center for Minority Health in Colorectal Cancer Research.   In addition, she is alumni of the 2008 cohort of the U.C.L.A Minority Training Program in Cancer Control Research.  Previously, Ms. McCarthy worked for the American Public Health Association as a Section Affairs Coordinator.
Email: mccarthysm@mail.nih.gov
Telephone: (301) 594-3194