Leadership

Cheryl L. Knott, PhD serves as UMGCCC Associate Director of COE. Dr. Knott is Professor in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health in the University of Maryland School of Public Health at the University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. Knott is a national leader in cancer control research, with expertise in implementation science and social epidemiology. She has been involved in more than $62 million in extramural research ($17 million as Principal Investigator), from sources such as the NIH (primarily NCI) and the American Cancer Society. Dr. Knott’s research has resulted in more than 175 peer-reviewed publications.
Email: cholt14@umd.edu

Shana O. Ntiri, MD, MPH serves as UMGCCC Assistant Director. Dr. Ntiri is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and serves as the Medical Director for the UMGCCC Baltimore City Cancer Program. Her work spans administrative, research, teaching, and clinical efforts. Her research interests include health inequities—particularly in relation to cancer screening—and the impact of community and primary care-based initiatives on improving health.
Email: sntiri@som.umaryland.edu

Evelyn King-Marshall, PhD, MPH (she/hers) is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. She serves as the Director of Internships and Capstone for the BCH MPH program and as the Deputy Director of the UMD Prevention Research Center. A qualitatively trained researcher, Dr. King-Marshall focuses on examining pathways to health disparities, LGBTQ+ health, and decision-making in colorectal cancer treatment. Her expertise also includes the operations and administration of academic programs and grant-funded initiatives, with a strong emphasis on effective program implementation and management.
Email: eckm@umd.edu

Devlon N. Jackson, PhD, MPH is a health communication scientist and Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health at the University of Maryland's School of Public Health. Her research focuses on leveraging digital health tools and health information to improve the health outcomes of marginalized, minoritized, and underserved communities. Dr. Jackson partners with community members to develop and design health information content and digital health tools for prevention and disease management across various levels. With a community-engaged approach and commitment to health equity, she collaborates intentionally with communities to create effective public health solutions that drive meaningful change.
Email: djacks04@umd.edu

Laundette P. Jones, PhD, MPH is an Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM). She serves as Co-Director of the UMSOM Program in Health Equity and Population Health and as Director of Experiential Learning in the MPH Program, mentoring the next generation of public health professionals through interprofessional, community-engaged education. Dr. Jones brings a unique perspective to the team, shaped by rigorous training in both the basic sciences and public health, and by a deep commitment to participatory health research approaches that engage communities as full partners across all stages of the research process—from question development to data interpretation and dissemination. Her research focuses on building relational trust and developing innovative interprofessional educational models that align research with community priorities to advance equitable cancer outcomes.
Email: LPJones@som.umaryland.edu