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Jimmy O'Hara

Word weaver and editorial professional focused on science writing and content development. Seeking opportunities to cover a range of topics, including the climate crisis, biomedical research, psychological sciences, regenerative systems, and environmental justice.

Science

View all science coverage.

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ASCO Connection •

Investing in Earlier Detection for U.S. Veterans: Lung Cancer Screening

Jennifer Lewis, MD, MS, MPH, began her internal medicine residency at a notable time in the field of lung cancer care. It was 2011, and the results of the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) had just been published. As a randomized controlled trial screening for lung cancer in older adults with extensive smoking histories, the NLST provided compelling evidence that screening with low-dose computed tomography can detect lung cancer earlier and extend patients’ lives.
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ASCO Connection •

Diversifying Data and Addressing Disparities for Older Hispanic and Latino Patients

From language barriers to a lack of insurance, limited health care access, and financial hardships, older Hispanic and Latino patients face an onslaught of obstacles when it comes to navigating cancer care. Without diverse, insightful, nuanced health care data about Hispanic and Latino patients, particularly in older adults, providing better resources and improved outcomes becomes even more difficult. This is exactly the problem that Fernando Diaz, MD, hopes to address.
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ASCO Connection •

Impact Stories: Empowering Innovation and Delivering Meaningful Results in Cancer Care

To accelerate scientific breakthroughs, enhance health equity, and improve patient outcomes for all, Conquer Cancer supports some of the most promising oncology research and programs around the world. This includes supporting efforts that advance not only research, but also continuing education for oncology providers and promotion of the highest-quality, equitable patient care.

Podcasts

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Your Stories Podcast •

Strength She Never Knew: Your Stories Podcast

Every 14 seconds, someone is diagnosed with breast cancer. One group faces a particularly unique and complex set of challenges: young working mothers. It’s a reality that Irish patient Aisling O’Brien knows all too well. Aisling spent most of 2023 undergoing numerous rounds of treatment—including breast-conserving surgery right before the winter holidays—all while parenting three young children in her native Ireland.
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Your Stories Podcast •

Picking Up the Pieces After Childhood Cancer: Your Stories Podcast

One morning—not long after beginning chemotherapy—Auburn woke up with intense stomach pain and nausea. She’d recently been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a blood cancer that often requires an extremely challenging regimen of chemotherapy. But now, with Auburn clinging to life and struggling with a dangerous infection, chemo would have to wait.
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Conquer Cancer •

Skin Cancer 101: Spotting the Ugly Duckling: Your Stories Podcast

One day, you’re looking in the mirror when suddenly you notice it: a strange-looking mole. Naturally, you start to wonder: Could it be cancer? How can I tell? What do I do if it is? Thankfully, after decades of advancements in skin cancer research and care, these kinds of questions have answers. And yet, despite these milestones, there are many research breakthroughs that have yet to be made when it comes to skin cancer treatment.
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Your Stories Podcast •

Bringing Better Cancer Care Back Home: Your Stories Podcast

All too often, the health data gathered about Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (NHPI) patients is categorized too broadly, resulting in ethnic and geographic differences among these populations being overlooked. Having experienced firsthand the impact of these disparities on his own family, Dr. Kekoa Taparra dedicates his career to addressing the various challenges prevalent in NHPI cancer care.
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Your Stories Podcast •

Why Hasn't Cancer Been Cured?: Your Stories Podcast

It's easy to confuse the idea of curing a disease with that of eradicating it. There are misconceptions about what it means to cure cancer, driven by a variety of historical and sociocultural factors. Dr. Otis Brawley, a former chief medical and scientific officer of the American Cancer Society, joins this episode of the Your Stories podcast to help set reasonable expectations around what the possibilities are for treating, managing, and conquering cancer.
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Your Stories Podcast •

Stopping the Stigma: Your Stories Podcast

Esophageal cancer. Testicular cancer. Lung cancer. Cervical cancer. Colon cancer. What do each of these diseases have in common? They’re all heavily stigmatized. Some are associated with portions of the anatomy typically considered private. Others are linked to causes that result in blame and criticism directed at the patient. In any case, patients with stigmatized diseases face challenges that go beyond care.
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Your Stories Podcast •

A Collaborative Approach to an Uncommon Cancer: Your Stories Podcast

Shock. Fear. Uncertainty. Isolation. These are just a few of the many emotions that patients may feel upon receiving any cancer diagnosis, let alone an ultra-rare form of the disease. Katie Coleman is no stranger to this experience or any of the feelings attached to it. At 29, she was diagnosed with metastatic oncocytoma, an extremely rare kidney tumor.
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Your Stories Podcast •

The More You Know: Your Stories Podcast

Unless you're a trained scientist, most cancer jargon might not make much sense. Enter Cancer.Net, the patient information website of ASCO and Conquer Cancer, with its commitment to helping patients and families access the knowledge and resources they need as they navigate their cancer journey. Host and cancer survivor Brenda Brody is joined by Dr. Jyoti Patel, a clinical oncologist and the editor-in-chief of Cancer.Net, discuss why providing lay cancer information is critical to raising awareness and support for research.
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Your Stories Podcast •

Spreading the News About Colorectal Cancer Research: Your Stories Podcast

NBC journalist Craig Melvin’s 43-year-old brother, Lawrence Meadows, passed away from colorectal cancer in 2020. Since then, Craig has made it his mission to increase public awareness and raise support for colorectal cancer research. Along with two-time Conquer Cancer grant recipient and colorectal oncologist Dr. Kimmie Ng, Craig joins this episode of Your Stories to emphasize the critical role donors play in advancing colorectal cancer research.
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Your Stories Podcast •

"It's Treatable": Your Stories Podcast

Lillian Kreppel had to advocate for herself and seek a second opinion before receiving a delayed diagnosis: HPV-related stage II anal cancer. Now a survivor, Lillian leads the HPV Cancers Alliance, an advocacy organization she co-founded to help improve HPV education for patients, providers, and the public. She shares key lessons for patients navigating screening and treatment, debunks stigmas and myths surrounding HPV, and highlights the importance of patient advocacy and donor-funded research.
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Your Stories Podcast •

Just Keep Swimming: Your Stories Podcast

When Liz Beisel’s late father, Ted Beisel, passed away in 2021 from pancreatic cancer, she partnered with Swim Across America to help fund a Conquer Cancer Young Investigator Award. Dr. Peter Yu, an early-career oncologist and pancreatic cancer researcher, received this grant in 2022. This helped launch his promising research project to improve treatment and care for patients with pancreatic cancer.
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Your Stories Podcast •

Learning How Language Saves Lives: Your Stories Podcast

Before Dr. Jenny Ruiz became a pediatric oncologist, her first experience with kids and cancer came when a younger cousin was diagnosed with leukemia. Dr. Ruiz became a translator for her family, most of whom speak Spanish as a first language; her cousin’s doctor spoke English. This showed her how life-threatening language barriers can be when patients and families with limited English proficiency must navigate cancer care.

Experience

Science:

  • Regular contributor to ASCO Connection magazine
  • Published bylines in ASCO Daily News and Cancer.Net 
  • Originated 35+ research spotlights on CONQUER.ORG
  • Produce monthly Your Stories: Conquering Cancer podcast
  • Managed two 20-page, multi-story features in ASCO Connection 

Music:

  • Press Pass for Sol Fest Music & Arts Festival (May 2022)
  • Press Pass for Sound Haven Festival (July 2022)
  • Covered feature story on Astronox Music & Arts Gathering 
  • Crafted musician profiles for ENiGMA Dubz, Vandull, etc.
  • Led coverage of podcast series by American Grime Records 
More About Me

Music

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Background Noise •

Astronox Music & Arts Gathering: Reflections On The Impressive 2021 Event and A Promising Look Forward to 2022

Tucked away within the Texas drylands an hour west of Austin, the second edition of Astronox unfolded its festive wings. Since its inception in 2019, the multi-day gathering provides an imaginative space for communities drawn to the niche realms of downtempo, world, glitch hop, psydub and psybient. Nick Sumbles, the festival’s founder, strives to showcase the narrative-driven side of electronica.

Testimonials

"Jimmy delivers on every level—a triple-threat writer, editor, and content strategist. He consistently takes a highly scientific, somewhat abstract topic and finds the beating human heart at its center, conveyed in concise, highly readable prose. He has sound editorial judgment and an innate understanding of audience and tone, and he is utterly reliable on deadlines. Importantly, he has been a champion for inclusive language long before it became a topic of mainstream discussion. Having Jimmy as a collaborator means that, in a professional environment with significant resource constraints and endless moving parts, I can be confident that the aspects he manages will come in on time and at an exceptional standard of quality."

— Virginia Anderson
Associate Director, ASCO Connection magazine, American Society of Clinical Oncology

"I had the pleasure of supervising and mentoring Jimmy early in his career, when he was instrumental in helping with a major overhaul of our institutional website. Jimmy was consistently an enthusiastic and diligent reporter and copywriter who brought creative and innovative ideas to the table and told compelling stories. He always comported himself with professionalism and held himself to the highest standards. The growth mindset that he brought to our projects particularly impressed me. On the basis of these qualities and his excellent work, I promoted him into a managerial role in which he guided, facilitated, and directed newer and less experienced interns as they undertook a wide range of communications and marketing duties. I couldn't have been more happy with his leadership. I recommend Jimmy for any job, especially those in which he can use his writing, reporting, and organizational leadership skills."

— Dr. Richard Todd Stafford
Director of Communications, Honors College, George Mason University

"I've had the pleasure of working with Jimmy for several years at ASCO where we collaborate on researcher spotlight articles for ASCO Daily News. Jimmy's copy is consistently pristine and engaging. He weaves eloquent narratives that effortlessly highlight the importance of the researchers' work. Jimmy does a great job translating scientific medical jargon into plain language that meets the needs of both lay people and clinicians. Jimmy has excellent journalistic instincts and natural talent. I highly recommend him for any writing position."

— Faith Hayden
Editorial Director, ASCO Daily News, American Society of Clinical Oncology

"Jimmy is a writer with a fresh voice, always working to understand the audience and craft a thoughtful, compelling story. He’s an equally thorough editor. I loved the enthusiasm and creativity he consistently brought to our team."

— Patra Wroten
Specialist in creative writing, brand development, and strategic communications

"I'm delighted to wholeheartedly endorse Jimmy, my previous Communications & Editorial Lead at Background Noise Agency. Jimmy's exceptional skills in crafting beautiful descriptions, meticulous proofreading, and invaluable training have been instrumental in shaping our editorial presence and upholding our high standards. His contributions are immeasurable, and his presence on our team is truly irreplaceable. Jimmy is a prized hire who has left an indelible mark on our success."

— Sarah Styles
Owner of Background Noise Agency