Joosun Shin selected as NIH-NCI Division of Cancer Prevention Early Career Scientist

Joosun Shin, PhD, RN, AGACNP-BC, an assistant professor at the UCLA Joe C. Wen School of Nursing, has been selected as a 2027 Early Career Scientist by the National Cancer Institute’s Division of Cancer Prevention (DCP).

The national recognition highlights early career scientists who are advancing research in areas supported by DCP, including oncology symptom science and management, cancer prevention, early detection, biomarker development and screening, and precision cancer prevention. Researchers selected for the program are invited to present their work through the DCP Early Career Scientist Spotlight Research Seminar Series and engage with researchers and staff across the National Cancer Institute.

“It is an honor to be recognized by the NCI Division of Cancer Prevention as an early-career scientist studying symptoms and to have the opportunity to share my work with the broader cancer research community,” said Shin. “I hope this recognition draws greater attention to the importance of assessing and managing shortness of breath (dyspnea). With the NCI's support, I will devote my research career to developing more precise, personalized approaches to addressing the most prevalent yet underrecognized symptom among patients with lung cancer.”

As part of the program, Shin will give a virtual presentation on April 13, 2027 at 8 am (PST) highlighting her research on characterizing and predicting dyspnea in people with lung cancer.

At UCLA, she leads a research program in precision dyspnea science, using large, complex datasets to better understand why some people experience persistent or worsening shortness of breath while others do not after lung cancer treatment. Her long-term goal is to identify patients at greatest risk for developing or experiencing worsening dyspnea before and after cancer treatment, creating opportunities for more targeted and personalized interventions.

The DCP recognition comes amid growing support for Shin’s research. Earlier this year, she received an NIH/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute R21 grant to develop a more precise approach to identifying and managing dyspnea among people who smoke. She also received a seed grant from the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center to develop an AI-driven tool that predicts persistent or worsening shortness of breath in patients undergoing surgery for early-stage lung cancer. She also received an early career award from the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.

Shin joined the UCLA Nursing faculty in 2025 following postdoctoral training at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School. A UCLA Nursing alumna, she earned her MSN at UCLA and her PhD in nursing from UC San Francisco (UCSF).