September 23, 2026

Just one year after earning his MPH from Drexel University's Dornsife School of Public Health, Edmond Kubi Appiah, MPH '25, is helping coordinate a clinical study that could improve nutrition and quality of life for people with pancreatic cancer.

As a lead clinical research coordinator at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Edmond works alongside principal investigator Virginia Stallings, MD, and teams at CHOP and the Penn Pancreatic Cancer Research Center on the Nutrition Intervention for Pancreatic Cancer study. The study is evaluating a new nutritional approach for patients who have difficulty absorbing dietary fat—a common challenge for people with pancreatic cancer.

“What makes this work particularly meaningful to me is that I'm able to apply the epidemiologic and biostatistical training I received at Dornsife directly to patient-centered clinical research,” said Edmond, who earned his MPH in Epidemiology and a minor in Biostatistics from Drexel Dornsife.

People with pancreatic disease often have difficulty digesting and absorbing dietary fat, a condition known as fat malabsorption that can contribute to weight loss and malnutrition.

The research team is evaluating a structured-lipid nutritional intervention designed to help patients absorb fat more effectively. The study is the first of its kind to evaluate this approach in people with cancer and could help address an important challenge in pancreatic cancer care.

For Edmond, the potential impact of the study makes the work especially rewarding.

“The work is rewarding because it's contributing to a broader national challenge to improve nutritional management and quality of life for people living with pancreatic cancer,” he said.

As lead clinical research coordinator, Edmond is involved in many aspects of the study, including participant screening and recruitment, informed consent, coordination of study visits, regulatory and IRB activities, data collection and management, research documentation, and coordination across investigators and clinical teams.

He also helped develop the study’s research infrastructure, including its REDCap data system—a research tool he learned to use as an MPH student at Dornsife.

Edmond credits his clinical background in dentistry, public health training, and experience as a nutrition research coordinator at Drexel with preparing him for his current role coordinating clinical research at CHOP.

Advice for Students Interested in Clinical Research

Edmond's advice to current Dornsife students interested in clinical research is to build both their skills and experience.

“Build a strong foundation in study design, research ethics, data management, and scientific communication. Be willing to start with opportunities that allow you to learn, ask questions, stay curious, and gradually take on more responsibility.”

Interested in building the skills for a career in epidemiology and clinical research? Learn more about the MPH in Epidemiology, which is offered both in-person and online.