October Faculty Spotlight
Published on October 4, 2024
Dr. Mary Charlton
She/her/hers
Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska
Alma mater: University of Iowa x3
Field(s) of Research: Cancer Epidemiology
Quickfire Queries:
What are your interests and hobbies outside of the Department of Epidemiology?
“Hiking around Eastern Iowa and climbing mountains.”
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Who is your Epi hero? How can we learn more about them?
“Laura Beane Freeman was a PhD student when I was getting my MS in Epi. She was an amazing mentor to me back then and still is today. She is the PI of the Agricultural Health Study at the NCI and has conducted numerous studies of agricultural exposures and health outcomes including cancer.”
Learn more about Dr. Freeman and her work:
What is an important cause to you right now?
“I’m trying to do more mindfulness meditation and stay in the present. It helps me stay more curious about the perspectives of others and to be more compassionate.”
Describe a highlight from your semester thus far.
“I went skydiving for the first time at the beginning of the semester.”
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Describe a piece of your work or an accomplishment that you are most proud of:
“The 2024 Cancer in Iowa report got the most coverage of any report the Iowa Cancer Registry has ever produced. It was a team effort and has gotten people across the state talking about cancer.”
This or That:
| Funny costumes | Spooky costumes |
| Be able to fly | Be able to breathe underwater |
| Be taken to the lowest point of the ocean in a submersible* | Be flown to outer space in a (non-Boeing) shuttle* |
Scientific Ranking of
Spooky Season Songs:
“I try to remind myself of these words during times of change or stress:
Pain is an unavoidable part of life, but suffering is a choice. Happiness is not the absence of pain, but the ability to find peace and joy even amidst life’s challenges.”
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