Irania Santaliz Moreno

Program: Biomedical Informatics and Data Science

Current advisor: Li-Shiun Chen, PhD

Undergraduate university: University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, 2015

Enrollment year: 2023

Research summary
I study how sexual health concerns are identified and managed in cancer care, combining EHR data, patient and provider interviews, and clinic observation to improve screening and care for women with cancer.

My research focuses on improving the identification and management of sexual health concerns in oncology. Sexual health concerns are common during and after cancer treatment, yet they are often not raised, screened for, or documented in routine care. My dissertation, “Improving Identification and Management of Sexual Health Concerns in Oncology: A Multilevel, Mixed-Methods Study,” examines this gap at the patient, provider, and system levels among women treated at Siteman Cancer Center across breast, gynecologic, and gastrointestinal oncology and survivorship clinics.

The first aim uses the Biopsychosocial Model to characterize patient experiences and predictors of sexual health concerns. It draws on electronic health record data, patient-reported outcome measures, and patient interviews. This work includes comparing a single-item screening prompt against validated instruments (PROMIS and FACT-G) and examining whether these concerns are captured in ICD-10 diagnostic coding. The second aim applies the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to identify provider- and system-level barriers and facilitators through clinician interviews and direct clinic observation. The third aim integrates these findings, compares them with NCCN and ASCO guidelines, and uses a two-round Delphi process with patients and providers to develop consensus recommendations for practice.

My background in genetic counseling and my training in biomedical informatics and implementation science inform this work. The goal is to produce practical, evidence-based strategies that make sexual health a routine part of cancer care.

Graduate publications
Santaliz-Moreno I, Lewis-Thames MW, Khan S, Langston ME, Rice HE, L’Hotta AJ, Sijecic A, Housten AJ. 2026 The hidden costs: a qualitative analysis exploring the experience of prostate cancer treatment-related side effects on sexual function and urinary incontinence among Black survivors and their caregivers. J Cancer Surviv, 20(2): 715-23. PMCID: PMC12337802

Raisa A, Santaliz Moreno I, Ayala A, Hamilton JG, Mozersky J, Linnenbringer E, Maki J, McQueen A, Souroullas GP, Waters EA. 2026 A Content Analysis of Health-Related Epigenetic Information in YouTube Videos. Genet Med, 28(1):101631. PMCID: PMC13077652