Shaila Strayhorn-Carter is an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington whose training spans biology, epidemiology, and social and behavioral science. She earned a BA in Biology from Spelman College, an MPH in Epidemiology from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, and a PhD in Social and Behavioral Science from the University of Memphis School of Public Health. Her research centers on the intersection of social support, health behaviors, and quality of life. She studies how social support shapes physical activity and overall well-being among African American breast cancer survivors and among individuals at high risk for cancer. She also examines how social determinants contribute to cancer-related health disparities and differences in cancer outcomes. As a 2026 MAPCI Fellow, Strayhorn-Carter joins a community advancing rigorous methods for cancer prevention and control research.