Christine Marie Gunn, PhD
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Medicine
Biography
Dr. Gunn completed her PhD in Health Services Research in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Boston University School of Public Health. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Women’s Health Unit, Section of General Internal Medicine at the Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine. She holds a secondary appointment at the Boston University School of Public Health in the Department of Health Law, Policy and Management.
Dr. Gunn is a health services researcher focused on risk communication, decision-making, and the utilization of evidence-based care. She has conducted an array of research on how patients and providers negotiate the experience of being at risk for cancer and its impact on the utilization of health services. She is particularly interested studying how health literacy impacts health decision-making and behaviors. Dr. Gunn has extensive experience in qualitative research methods, surveys, and mixed methods approaches to studying risk and prevention behaviors.
Dr. Gunn has received funding from AcademyHealth through the New Investigator Small Grant Program to examine women’s perceptions of the Massachusetts breast density notification legislation and its influence on their intentions for future screening. She is the recipient of a K07 career development award from the National Cancer Institute. This award uses community-engaged methods to develop and test a breast cancer screening decision aid in partnership with women with low health literacy. She is also conducting work through the BU-BMC Cancer Center American Cancer Society pilot program that aims to develop patient education to help women understand breast density and has a CTSI pilot award expanding her risk communication work to explore gender and age based differences in risk communication about fentanyl use.
Areas of Interest:
Cancer, Decision-making, Risk communication, Screening and prevention, Breast density, Health services research, health literacy, health disparities
Other Positions
- Adjunct Assistant Professor, Health Law, Policy & Management, Boston University School of Public Health
- Member, BU-BMC Cancer Center, Boston University
- Member, Center of Excellence in Women’s Health, Boston University
- Faculty, Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Education
- Boston University, PhD
- University of Western Ontario, MA
- University of Western Ontario, BSc
Publications
- Published on 2/1/2024
Rocque GB, Patel MI, Wallner LP, Bailey SC, Schear R, Gunn CM, Rivers J, Wilson R, Freeman EC, Buckingham TL, May SG, Kamal AH. Patient-Centered Decision-Making in Metastatic Breast Cancer Care Delivery: A Call to Action. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2024 Feb; 22(1). PMID: 38394778.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 1/18/2024
Ron D, Gunn CM, Havidich JE, Ballacchino MM, Burdick TE, Deiner SG. Preoperative Communication Between Anesthesia, Surgery, and Primary Care Providers for Older Surgical Patients. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf. 2024 Jan 18. PMID: 38360446.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 11/19/2023
Blakeslee SB, Gunn CM, Parker PA, Fagerlin A, Battaglia T, Bevers TB, Bandos H, McCaskill-Stevens W, Kennedy JW, Holmberg C. Talking numbers: how women and providers use risk scores during and after risk counseling - a qualitative investigation from the NRG Oncology/NSABP DMP-1 study. BMJ Open. 2023 Nov 19; 13(11):e073138. PMID: 37984961.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 11/1/2023
Kressin NR, Wormwood JB, Battaglia TA, Slanetz PJ, Gunn CM. Sociodemographic Variations in Women's Reports of Discussions With Clinicians About Breast Density. JAMA Netw Open. 2023 Nov 01; 6(11):e2344850. PMID: 38010653.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 10/20/2023
Harris MTH, Laks J, Hurstak E, Jain JP, Lambert AM, Maschke AD, Bagley SM, Farley J, Coffin PO, McMahan VM, Barrett C, Walley AY, Gunn CM. "If you're strung out and female, they will take advantage of you": A qualitative study exploring drug use and substance use service experiences among women in Boston and San Francisco. J Subst Use Addict Treat. 2024 Feb; 157:209190. PMID: 37866442.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 8/29/2023
Skipper TA, Weiss JE, Carlos HA, Gunn CM, Hasson RM, Peacock JL, Schiffelbein JE, Tosteson ANA, Lansigan F, Rees JR. A Survey of Cancer Risk Behaviors, Beliefs, and Social Drivers of Health in New Hampshire and Vermont. Cancer Res Commun. 2023 Aug; 3(8):1678-1687. PMID: 37649812.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 8/14/2023
Rees JR, Weiss JE, Gunn CM, Carlos HA, Dragnev NC, Supattapone EY, Tosteson ANA, Kraft SA, Vahdat LT, Peacock JL. Cancer Epidemiology in the Northeastern United States (2013-2017). Cancer Res Commun. 2023 Aug; 3(8):1538-1550. PMID: 37583435.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 7/28/2023
Gunn CM, Berrian K, Weiss JE, Tosteson AAN, Hasson RM, Di Florio-Alexander R, Peacock JL, Rees JR. A population-based survey of self-reported delays in breast, cervical, colorectal and lung cancer screening. Prev Med. 2023 Oct; 175:107649. PMID: 37517458.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 6/29/2023
Gunn CM, Gignac G, Hardy B, Zayhowski K, Pankowska M, Loo S, Wang C. Characterizing Referrals for Prostate Cancer Genetic Services in a Safety-Net Hospital. JCO Oncol Pract. 2023 Oct; 19(10):852-859. PMID: 37384869.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 4/20/2023
Kressin NR, Wormwood JB, Battaglia TA, Slanetz PJ, Gunn CM. Women's Reactions to Breast Density Information Vary by Sociodemographic Characteristics. Womens Health Issues. 2023; 33(4):435-442. PMID: 37087312.
Read at: PubMed
View 52 more publications: View full profile at BUMC