Jessica Duncan Cance, M.P.H., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Health Education
Kinesiology & Health Education

Office:
504 Bellmont Hall
Department of Kinesiology and Health Education
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas 78712
Mail Code: D3700
Phone: 512-471-8184; Fax: 512-471-3845
E-mail: jdcance@mail.utexas.edu

Jessica Duncan Cance, M.P.H., Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Cance received her Ph.D. in Health Behavior and Health Education from the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her Master’s in Public Health in Behavioral Sciences and Health Education from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. She also received a predoctoral Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) fellowship from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Prior to her doctoral studies, Dr. Cance was a public health researcher at RTI International in North Carolina. Dr. Cance's interests are in adolescent health promotion. Specifically, she conducts research focused on how the longitudinal interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors impacts adolescent health risk behaviors such as substance use and aggression. Dr. Cance is currently working on research to better understand how pubertal timing, how developed one is compared with peers, influences risk behavior in adolescence.  

Educational Background

• 2010: Ph.D. Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC. Health Behavior and Health Education.
• 2001: M.P.H. Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA. Behavioral Sciences and Health Education.
• 1999: B.S. Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA. Chemistry (Biochemistry emphasis).

Recent Publications

• Francis, S. A., Lam, W. K. K. Cance, J. D., & Hogan, V. K. (2009). What’s the 411: Assessing the feasibility of providing African American adolescents with HIV/AIDS prevention education in a faith-based setting, Journal of Religion and Health, 48, 164-177.
• Fisher, H., Eke, A. N., Cance, J. D., Hawkins, S. R., Lam, W. K. K. (2008). Correlates of HIV risk behaviors in at-risk African American adolescents from substance-using families: Patterns of adolescent-level factors associated with sexual experience and substance use, Journal of Adolescent Health, 42, 161-169.
• Lam, W.K.K., Cance, J. D., Williams, J. C., Hawkins, S. R., & Eke, A. N. (2007). Children of African-American mothers who use crack cocaine: Family influences on youth substance use, Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 32, 877-887.
• Cance, J. D., Ashley, O. S., & Penne, M. A. (2005). Unhealthy weight control behaviors and Ecstasy use among females aged 12 to 17, Journal of Adolescent Health, 34, 409.e19–409.e25.
• Herman-Stahl, M., D.L. Spencer, D. L., & Duncan, J. E. (2003).  The implications of cultural orientation for substance use among American Indians, The American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research: A Journal of the National Center, 11, 46-66.

Selected Conference Presentations and Posters

• Cance, J. D., & Véronneau, M. H. (2010). Mentorship in the life of early career prevention scientists. A luncheon co-chaired at the 18^th Annual Meeting of the Society for Prevention Research, Denver, CO.
• Cance, J. D., Ennett, S. T., & Morgan-Lopez, A. A. (2010). The longitudinal impact of pubertal timing on current substance use across adolescence. A poster presented at the 13^th Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research on Adolescence, Philadelphia, PA.
• Cance, J. D., & Ennett, S. T. (2009). Stability of perceived pubertal timing among rural adolescents. A paper presented at the 137^th Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, Philadelphia, PA.
• Cance, J. D., & Reyes, H. L. M. (2009). The developmental course of adolescent self-esteem. A poster presented at the 17^th Annual Meeting of the Society for Prevention Research, Washington, DC.
• Cance, J. D., & Ennett, S. T. (2009). The impact of body dissatisfaction on emotional well-being and health behavior among females. A poster presented at the 17^th Annual Meeting of the Society for Prevention Research, Washington, DC.
• Cance, J. D., Williams, J. C., & Lam, W. K. K. (2007). Family and peer influences on sexual behavior among adolescents whose African-American mothers use crack cocaine:  A test of Social Control Theory. A paper presented at the 15^th Annual Meeting of the Society for Prevention Research, Washington, DC.
• Lam, W. K.K., Kan, M., Cance, J. D., & Williams, J. C. (2006). Maternal-child communications and youth risk among African-American crack-using mothers and their children. A poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Research on Adolescence, San Francisco.
• Lam, W. K. K, Cance, J. D., Hawkins, S. R., Williams, J. C., & Ellerson, R. M. (2006). Family, peer, and community level influences on risk behaviors of adolescents whose African-American mothers use crack cocaine. A paper presented at the 14^th Annual Meeting of the Society for Prevention Research, San Antonio, Texas.
• Lam, W. K. K., Cance, J. D., Hawkins, S. R., & Williams, J. C. (2005). Adolescent children of African-American crack-using mothers: Gender differences in risk and maternal-child communication.  A poster presented at the 2005 Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Atlanta, GA.
• Hawkins, S. R., Cance, J. D., & Lam, W. K. K. (2005). Delinquency and children of African American mothers who use crack cocaine. A paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Criminology, Toronto.
• Ashley, O. S., Penne, M. A., Cance, J. D., Orr, W. A., & Calvin, S. L. (2005). Substance use among highly religious youths: Racial differences and links to parental involvement and school factors. A paper presented at 133^rd Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, Philadelphia, PA.
• Cance, J. D., Penne, M. A., & Ashley, O. S. (2004). Unhealthy weight control behaviors and Ecstasy use among females aged 12-17. A poster presented at 132^nd Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, Washington, DC.
• Ashley, O. S., Cance, J. D., Sverdlov, L., Salvucci, S., Male, A., & Brady, T. (2004). Retention of women at substance abuse treatment facilities offering prenatal care services. A poster presented at 132^nd Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, Washington, DC.
• Ashley, O. S., Cance, J. D., Sverdlov, L., Salvucci, S., Male, A. & Brady, T. (2004). Combined substance abuse treatment and mental health services and retention among female clients at substance abuse treatment facilities. A paper presented at 132^nd Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, Washington, DC.
• Duncan, J. E., Marsden, M. E., & Bray, R. M. (2003). Substance use among women in the Military.  A paper presented at the 111^th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Toronto, Canada.

Professional Memberships

• American Public Health Association
• Society for Research in Child Development
• Society for Prevention Research
• Society for Research on Adolescence