Monica Yellowhair appointed assistant director of Native American Partnerships at the University of Arizona Cancer Center

The University of Arizona Comprehensive Cancer Center is pleased to announce the appointment of Monica Yellowhair, PhD, as assistant director of Native American Partnerships. Yellowhair has served with distinction as the center’s assistant director of Community Outreach and Engagement. Yellowhair brings deep experience working with Native communities, grounded in trusted relationships and a sustained commitment to community-defined priorities. She now transitions into this important leadership role under the direction of Professor Patricia Thompson, associate director of strategy. 

“Yellowhair’s new position reflects our commitment to dedicating focused leadership and resources to this work,” Thompson said. “Reducing the disproportionate burden of cancer in Indigenous communities requires undivided attention, and it is essential that these efforts be guided by the priorities, perspectives, and sovereignty of tribal nations.” 

This appointment reflects cancer center Director Dr. Dan Theodorescu’s commitment to advancing meaningful, high-impact partnerships with Arizona’s Native tribes and organizations. In her new role, Yellowhair will guide strategic and operational initiatives centered on tribal communities, working to address the longstanding cancer disparities that disproportionately affect Native American populations across the state.

Yellowhair will lead the development, implementation, and continual refinement of outreach, research, and education strategies that align with both the cancer center’s mission and with priorities defined by tribal leadership and community members. Her work will emphasize sustainable programs that advance cancer prevention, early detection, treatment, and survivorship, ensuring that all efforts honor tribal sovereignty, foster trust, and remain responsive to community-identified needs.

By cultivating and strengthening partnerships with tribal governments, health systems, and community stakeholders, Yellowhair will help ensure that the center’s initiatives are culturally grounded, community-driven, and aligned with the unique strengths and challenges of Native American communities in Arizona. Through these efforts, she will advance collaborative approaches designed to reduce the burden and impacts of cancer and to support long-term improvements in prevention, early detection, treatment, and survivorship across tribal communities.