Assistant Professor of Bioethics and Health & Research Policy
Henry Hood Center for Health Research
100 N. Academy Ave.
Danville, PA 17822
ksaylor@geisinger.edu
Kate Saylor, PhD, MS
Research Interests
Dr. Saylor’s research focuses on promoting fairness and health equity in genetic research and medicine. Her work integrates ethics, simulation modeling and quantitative analysis to examine and advance health equity. Dr. Saylor uses simulation modeling to project the long-term health impacts and healthcare costs associated with population-wide genetic screening, with a particular emphasis on its effects on racial disparities. Additionally, she analyzes national statistics, survey data and healthcare data to identify barriers that limit patient access to genetic testing and the necessary follow-up care—barriers such as distance to the clinic, gaps in health insurance and geographic deprivation. She has written about the ethical values embedded in quantitative methods and developed arguments to support fair inclusion in medical research and equitable access to genomic medicine.Education
Postdoctoral Fellowship in Ethical Legal and Social Implications of Genetics and Genomics, University of PennsylvaniaPhD in Public Policy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
MS in Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Sciences University
BA in Biology, Macalester College
Recent Publications
Saylor KW, Fernandes EQ, Adams M, Paraghamian S, Shalowitz D. Predictors of Germline Genetic Testing Referral and Completion in Ovarian Cancer Patients at a Comprehensive Cancer Center. Gynecologic Oncology (2024). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0090825824001847
MacKay D, Saylor KW. Was this job market study on social media ethical? Hastings Bioethics Forum. (2024). https://www.thehastingscenter.org/was-this-job-market-study-ethical/
Saylor KW, Joffe S. Enhancing social value considerations in prioritising publicly funded biomedical research: the vital role of peer review. Journal of Medical Ethics. (2023). https://jme.bmj.com/content/medethics/early/2023/05/24/jme-2022-108883.full.pdf
Saylor KW, Martschenko DO. Promoting Diagnostic Equity: Specifying Genetic Similarity Rather Than Race or Ethnicity. Journal of Medical Ethics. (2023). https://jme.bmj.com/content/early/2023/09/14/jme-2023-109449.long
Saylor KW, Klein W, Calancie L, Lewis KL, Biesecker LG, Turbit E, Roberts, MC. Genetic testing and other healthcare use by Black and white participants in a genomic sequencing study. Journal of Public Health Genomics. (2023). https://karger.com/phg/article-pdf/doi/10.1159/000533356/3979531/000533356.pdf
Allen CG, Olstad D, Kahkoska A, Guan Y, Ramos P, Steinberg J, Staras S, Lumpkins C, Milko L, Turbitt E, Rahm A, Saylor KW, Best S, Hatch A., Santangelo I, Roberts MC. Extending an Antiracism Lens to the Implementation of Precision Public Health Interventions. American Journal of Public Health. (2023). https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/pdf/10.2105/AJPH.2023.307386
Roberts MC, Foss KS, Henderson GE, Powell SN, Saylor KW, Weck KE, Milko LV. Public Interest in Population Genetic Screening for Cancer Risk. Frontiers in Genetics. (2022). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9354961/
Johnson KT, Saylor KW, Alder IE, Hicklin KT, Berg JS, Hassmiller Lich K. A Systematic Review of the Methodology Quality of Economic Evaluations in Genetic Screening and Testing for Monogenic Disorders. Genetics in Medicine. (2022). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1098360021053582
Foss KS, O'Daniel JM, Berg JS, Powell SN, Cadigan RJ, Kuczynski KJ, Milko LV, Saylor KW, Roberts MC, Weck K, Henderson GE. The Rise of Population Genomic Screening: Characteristics of current programs and the need for evidence regarding optimal implementation. Journal of Personalized Medicine. (2022). https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4426/12/5/692