Christine M. Gunn, PhD

Adjunct Assistant Professor, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of 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

Publications

  • Published 3/25/2025

    Ash RW, Carpenter-Song E, Sosin AN, Moen EL, Gunn C. The role of place-based consciousness in COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: A survey analysis across rural and urban subgroups in the U.S. Soc Sci Med. 2025 May; 373:118019. PMID: 40179571.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 3/3/2025

    Beidler LB, Zayhowski K, Nahorniak M, Loo S, Gignac GA, Wang C, Gunn CM. Perceptions and Use of Germline Genetic Testing Among Patients With Prostate Cancer. JCO Oncol Pract. 2025 Mar 03; OP2400624. PMID: 40030090.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 12/12/2024

    Ron D, Ballacchino MM, Gunn CM, Briggs A, Deiner SG. Inter-Specialty Communication for Older and High-Risk Surgical Patients: "A Huge Opportunity to Really Impact Our Patients' Care". J Appl Gerontol. 2024 Dec 12; 7334648241302458. PMID: 39665857.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 11/29/2024

    Zayhowski K, Wang C, Nahorniak M, Loo S, Gignac G, Gunn C. A qualitative study of the experiences of patients with prostate cancer when receiving negative genetic results: "I still don't have a grasp of what it all means". J Genet Couns. 2024 Nov 29. PMID: 39611226.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 9/11/2024

    Gunn CM, Kressin NR, Battaglia TA, Schonberg MA, Paasche-Orlow MK, Tosteson ANA. Testing a Breast Cancer Screening Decision aid Designed for Health Literacy Accessibility. J Gen Intern Med. 2024 Dec; 39(16):3360-3362. PMID: 39261341.

    Read at: PubMed

Other Positions

  • Adjunct Assistant Professor, Health Law, Policy & Management
    Boston University School of Public Health
  • Member, BU-BMC Cancer Center
    Boston University
  • Member, Center for Excellence in Women’s Health
    Boston University
  • Faculty, Medicine
    Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Education

  • Boston University, PhD
  • University of Western Ontario, MA
  • University of Western Ontario, BSc