Rate My Professor Virginia Signal

Virginia Signal serves as a Senior Research Fellow in the Cancer and Chronic Conditions (C3) research group at the Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington. She possesses qualifications including a Bachelor of Nursing (BN), Master of Public Health (MPH), and PhD from the University of Otago. Her PhD investigated the effects of ethnicity and comorbidity on stomach cancer treatment pathways and outcomes. Drawing from her background in oncology nursing, cancer-related health promotion, and policy, Signal has dedicated her career to public health research emphasizing equity.

Signal's research specializations encompass improving Māori health and tackling inequities in cancer and infectious diseases. She manages the Co-Search research programme, which examines pandemic and outbreak patterns in Aotearoa New Zealand. Her key publications include "Closing the equity gap in access to early lung cancer diagnosis in Aotearoa: key informant perspectives and recommendations for action" (Journal of Primary Health Care, 2025), "Supportive care needs and assessment tools for family caregivers of Indigenous people with cancer: a narrative review" (Supportive Care in Cancer, 2025), "Blood cancers and Māori: a perspective on current evidence and next steps" (New Zealand Medical Journal, 2025), "Improving lung cancer survival outcomes for Māori" (New Zealand Medical Journal, 2025), "Translating evidence into action: overcoming barriers to gastric cancer prevention in Aotearoa" (Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 2025), "A Mobile- and Web-Based Health Intervention Program for People With Type 2 Diabetes" (JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 2020), "Dairy Consumption and Risk of Testicular Cancer: A Systematic Review" (Integrative Cancer Therapies, 2018), and "Analgesia use during pregnancy and risk of cryptorchidism: a systematic review and meta-analysis" (Human Reproduction, 2017). Additionally, "Stomach cancer survival in a country with universal health care coverage" (Gastric Cancer, 2015) emerged from her doctoral work. Signal's contributions have significantly influenced discussions on ethnic health disparities and equitable cancer care in New Zealand.