Jessica Osaze defends PhD dissertation at School of Medicine

The University of Missouri School of Medicine recognizes Jessica Osaze, who recently successfully defended her dissertation. At Spring 2026 Commencement, she became the first graduate of the Translational Biosciences PhD Program's inaugural cohort.

Post graduation, Osaze will join The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center as a James Administrative Fellow.

Osaze's dissertation, Beyond Biology: Analyzing Social Determinants of Breast Cancer Mortality with Predictive Analytics and Networks, examined how social and structural factors influence breast cancer survival in the United States. Her research sought to answer a critical question in cancer outcomes research, investigating why some women survive breast cancer while others facing similar diagnoses do not.

Using three complementary approaches—a systematic review of published literature, an analysis of a nationally representative cohort of more than 700,000 women, and a Bayesian Belief Network developed from electronic health record data—Osaze investigated the impact of social determinants of health on breast cancer mortality. Across all three studies, her findings consistently identified access to health care, particularly health insurance coverage, as the strongest social predictor of survival.

Her research documented a 28-percentage-point survival gap between the most socially advantaged and most socially disadvantaged breast cancer patients. The findings suggest that disparities in outcomes are driven not only by biological factors, but also by differences in access to care and other social conditions that influence health.

Working at the intersection of health informatics, health administration, epidemiology and social justice, Osaze's dissertation reflects the interdisciplinary mission of the Mizzou Translational Biosciences PhD Program and its emphasis on generating research that can improve population health and advance health equity.

Throughout her doctoral training, Osaze received mentorship from her dissertation committee, which included Randi Foraker PhD, Mihail Popescu, PhD, Nai-Wei Chen, PhD, Kevin Everett, PhD, and Gerhard Hildebrandt, MD. She also completed her doctoral studies as an Ellis Fischel Cancer Center Scholar, receiving support from Ellis Fischel Cancer Center throughout her training.

Dr. Foraker, chair of the Mizzou School of Medicine Department of Biomedical Informatics, Biostatistics and Medical Epidemiology, and director of the Population and Precision Health emphasis area, praised Osaze's perseverance and growth as a researcher.

"One of the qualities that stood out most throughout her PhD journey was her persistence," Foraker said. "Research rarely follows a straight path, and Jessica consistently met challenges with determination, curiosity, and a willingness to learn. Her resilience allowed her to turn setbacks into opportunities for growth, and it has been rewarding to watch her develop into a confident and skilled researcher. Through dedication and continuous growth, Jessica has become a highly capable researcher and is exceptionally well positioned for a successful career ahead."