Dr. Samantha Hurst

Biography

Samantha Hurst, Ph.D., M.A., is a Clinical Professor at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at the University of California, San Diego. As a medical anthropologist, her research emphasizes community health and behavioral and cultural interventions for cancer prevention and early detection. Dr. Hurst's work examines various phases of the cancer journey, including how patients interpret and act on screening information, and their navigation of the complex transition to care following diagnosis. Her goals include developing strategies to improve comprehension and access to care for underserved communities through emerging early detection technologies, including liquid biopsy and fragmentomics. Dr. Hurst is recognized for her expertise in participatory research frameworks, ensuring community partners are integral to the research process. She employs qualitative and mixed-methods approaches to document community priorities and health challenges as they relate to lived experiences. Dedication to ethical integrity in research and education is a hallmark of her work, as she mentors future public health leaders in qualitative methods and community-based research. Dr. Hurst received her Ph.D. in Biological Anthropology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in Cultural Psychiatry and Medical Anthropology at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla.

Research Interests

Experience