Matthew LeBlanc receives 2024 UNC Junior Faculty Development Award
January 2, 2024
Congratulations to Assistant Professor Matthew LeBlanc, PHD, RN, who received the 2024 UNC Junior Faculty Development Award for conducting a pilot study titled “Diagnostic delay in multiple myeloma: A qualitative exploration.”
This highly competitive award is supported by the UNC Office of the Provost with funds provided by IBM and R.J. Reynolds Industries, Inc.
In this pilot study, Dr. LeBlanc and his team will conduct in depth semi-structured interviews of adults newly diagnosed with myeloma to better understand their journeys from symptom onset to diagnosis with a special on minority myeloma patients known to be at higher risk for diagnostic delay.
This study will result in a comprehensive and detailed understanding of the diagnostic journey for those with myeloma and the barriers and facilitators of timely diagnosis. This will advance our understanding of a difficult clinical problem that has been identified as a priority by myeloma patients. Further it will provide us insight into the barriers and facilitators experienced by minority MM patients, who are known to be at risk for increased diagnostic delay.