Citizen Scientist Graduates

Looking to include the lived experiences of people affected by lung cancer in your research? Our Citizen Scientist graduates are eager to collaborate and bring valuable patient and caregiver perspectives to your project. Explore their profiles and reach out to get connected.

As a lung cancer patient advocate and researcher, I am passionate about ensuring that patient voices are meaningfully integrated into health research and policy. My research interests include qualitative research, patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), clinical trials, and patient engagement across the research lifecycle. I am particularly interested in helping to understand the lived experiences of people affected by lung cancer and translating these insights into more patient-centred care, research, and policy. I enjoy collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to co-design research that is relevant, inclusive, and impactful

I am deeply committed to research particularly as it relates to clinical trials. My contributions include reviewing trial protocols, serving on patient panels to bring the patient perspective to clinical trial design which includes the language used as well as engaging with lung cancer support groups to help others feel more confident about participating in trials. At the heart of my work as a patient research advocate is the opportunity to inspire fellow survivors and offer hope to those navigating this journey.

Dr. Aurora Lucas, Ed.D., is a first-generation Filipina American, ocean lover, and lung cancer survivor. Diagnosed with stage III lung cancer in 2021 after a three-month delay, she turned her experience into a platform, using social media to raise awareness about the disease. In May 2026, she experienced metastasis and is now living with stage IV cancer. She holds a doctorate in Leadership and Special Education and is passionate about making academic knowledge accessible to the people who need it most. Through her research advocacy, she is particularly interested in raising awareness of young lung cancer, particularly for those who fall outside current U.S. screening guidelines. She is also interested supporting research that focuses on the Asian American community.

Since my own NSCLC diagnosis, patient advocacy has become a significant and rewarding part of my life. I have come to love every aspect of advocacy, including but not limited to research, policy, and patient to patient navigation, but what really matters the most to me is advocacy in research. Grant reviews, patient engagement and perspectives in clinical trials, are a few areas where I have the greatest interest. Through LUNGevity and a variety of other organizations, I have had the great fortune to participate in grant reviews and partner directly with other patients.

There is a critical gap between patients and researchers and understanding the patient’s perspective in research.  Supporting future generations of lung cancer patients and caregivers through science is what matters most to me. No matter where this journey takes me, I want to continue to build relationships through this strong community and leave a legacy full of advocacy, education, mentorship, and memories.