Women in research: Meet Renee Cadzow

Three things: a love of learning, the realization about the interconnectedness of everything during anthropology studies and a commitment to social justice and equity. Also, I wanted to help document the issues that affect human health and disparities in outcomes, as well as develop and test solutions.

My father holds a PhD in biochemistry and I spent my early years hanging out on Saturdays at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. My mother is a nurse and frequently brought home the stories of her patients, their health issues and their experiences with the health care system. My brother holds an MD and a PhD and is active in research, as well as health care advocacy. And my sister, a farmer and yoga instructor, keeps me connected to the breadth and depth of human experiences. My husband, Dan, is also trained in anthropology (archaeology). He has an uncanny ability to tie together seemingly disparate historical and current circumstances, often eliciting novel and compelling questions that are ripe for exploration.

I was able to maintain active engagement in research while also teaching a full load and chairing a department at another local institution. Throughout this time, I also built lasting, deep connections between many community, institutional and academic partners. I am very proud of my recent transition back to UB in the School of Public Health and Health Professions. Making a job/career change can be scary. Just over five months in, I know I made the right move.

CHWs are trusted, carefully selected, skilled community members who bridge systems and communities toward improved health and well-being. I participated in a CHW stakeholder’s training in early 2012 after attending a community meeting where I learned about the CHW Network of Buffalo. The training was inspiring and transformative, and it led me to join their academic advisory group and ultimately the board of directors. I eventually went through a full CHW training and began to serve as a training facilitator. Over the last decade, I have gotten to know hundreds of people doing this important work. In many ways CHWs are lay anthropologists, seeking to understand and navigate different cultures within our community and advocate for equitable resources and access to health.

I love spending time with my family, which includes my husband, our four children and our two dogs. We travel, camp, hike, cook, bake and collaborate on home improvement projects. We love to watch movies together and try new foods. On my own, I stay active by daily working out and I usually have a couple of fiction books on my nightstand. I love catching a play, ballet or live music when I find a friend to join me. 

Stay curious and ask questions! Learn how to distinguish the reputable sources of information, and if you are in doubt, fact-check. Also, do not try too hard to map out a straight path toward your desired career. It will take twists and turns that you will not expect. Find something interesting in everything and reflect on how the skills you learn can be transferred into other spaces. For example, my part-time early jobs as a newspaper carrier, grocery cashier and baker helped me build time-management skills for balancing competing responsibilities and social skills for collaborating with my co-workers and community partners.