Celette Sugg Skinner, Ph.D.

Early Influences

“I was a member of the first-ever ‘two-female’ debate team to win the high school state championship in 1975,” Dr. Skinner said. Through this experience, “I learned to work hard, study the evidence, succinctly and persuasively make my case, and not be intimidated by the boys – skills that have continued to serve me well.”

Contributions To STEMM

Dr. Skinner joined UT Southwestern in 2007 as the founding Associate Director of Population Research for the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center. Prior to UT Southwestern, Dr. Skinner was an integral part of the cancer centers of Duke University, Washington University in St. Louis, and Indiana University.

Today, she serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Population and Data Sciences. Here, “my specialty is public health promotion,” Dr. Skinner explained.

“The goal of my research is to identify factors that increase risks for poor health outcomes and develop programs, or interventions, that will reduce risks. Sometimes the interventions are targeted to individuals, sometimes to health care providers or clinics, and sometimes to communities.”

By employing electronic health records and personalized communication, Dr. Skinner consistently seeks techniques to better reach underserved groups. Her research examines messaging intended to champion health screenings, leading to better patient outcomes altogether. Notably, she traced the connection between personalized messaging and higher screening rates specific to mammograms. Dr. Skinner is the only UT Southwestern faculty member who served on the Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot Blue Ribbon Panel.