Christine Gunn, PhD
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Medicine
General Internal Medicine

PhD, Boston University
MA, University of Western Ontario
BSc, University of Western Ontario



Dr. Gunn completed her PhD in Health Services Research in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Boston University School of Public Health. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Women's Health Unit, Section of General Internal Medicine at the Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine. She holds a secondary appointment at the Boston University School of Public Health in the Department of Health Law, Policy and Management.

Dr. Gunn is a health services researcher focused on risk communication, decision-making, and the utilization of evidence-based care. She has conducted an array of research on how patients and providers negotiate the experience of being at risk for cancer and its impact on the utilization of health services. She is particularly interested studying how health literacy impacts health decision-making and behaviors. Dr. Gunn has extensive experience in qualitative research methods, surveys, and mixed methods approaches to studying risk and prevention behaviors.

Dr. Gunn has received funding from AcademyHealth through the New Investigator Small Grant Program to examine women’s perceptions of the Massachusetts breast density notification legislation and its influence on their intentions for future screening. She is the recipient of a K07 career development award from the National Cancer Institute. This award uses community-engaged methods to develop and test a breast cancer screening decision aid in partnership with women with low health literacy. She is also conducting work through the BU-BMC Cancer Center American Cancer Society pilot program that aims to develop patient education to help women understand breast density and has a CTSI pilot award expanding her risk communication work to explore gender and age based differences in risk communication about fentanyl use.

Areas of Interest:
Cancer, Decision-making, Risk communication, Screening and prevention, Breast density, Health services research, health literacy, health disparities

Adjunct Assistant Professor
Boston University School of Public Health
Health Law, Policy & Management


Member
Boston University
BU-BMC Cancer Center


Member
Boston University
Center for Excellence in Women’s Health


Faculty
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Medicine
Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit




Genetic Testing in the Safety-Net: Improving Equity in Prostate Cancer Treatment
04/01/2020 - 03/31/2024 (PI)
Department of Defense


Using Community-Engaged Methods to Design a Tool to Promote Informed Breast Cancer Screening…
08/01/2018 - 07/31/2023 (PI)
National Cancer Institute/NIH/DHHS
K07CA221899-02

Perceptions of Breast Density Notifications Among a Low-Literacy Population: An Opportunity for P…
01/01/2016 - 12/31/2016 (PI)
Academy Health


Title


Yr Title Project-Sub Proj Pubs
2022 Using Community-Engaged Methods to Design a Tool to Promote Informed Breast Cancer Screening Decisions for Low Literacy Women 5K07CA221899-06
2021 Using Community-Engaged Methods to Design a Tool to Promote Informed Breast Cancer Screening Decisions for Low Literacy Women 5K07CA221899-04 3
2021 Using Community-Engaged Methods to Design a Tool to Promote Informed Breast Cancer Screening Decisions for Low Literacy Women 7K07CA221899-05 3
2020 Using Community-Engaged Methods to Design a Tool to Promote Informed Breast Cancer Screening Decisions for Low Literacy Women 5K07CA221899-03 3
2019 Using Community-Engaged Methods to Design a Tool to Promote Informed Breast Cancer Screening Decisions for Low Literacy Women 5K07CA221899-02 3
2018 Using Community-Engaged Methods to Design a Tool to Promote Informed Breast Cancer Screening Decisions for Low Literacy Women 1K07CA221899-01A1 3

Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.

iCite Analysis       Copy PMIDs To Clipboard

  1. Loo SS, Ogden SN, Ospina J, Khemraj UD, Cole MB, Gunn CM, Buitron de la Vega P, Clark JA. Experiences of Social Risk Screening in the Safety-Net Among Patients with Mental Health Needs. J Gen Intern Med. 2026 Feb 17.View Related Profiles. PMID: 41703381; DOI: 10.1007/s11606-025-10115-6;
     
  2. Iuliano K, Papas S, Greco KJ, Adachi-Mejia AM, Knutzen K, Sykes C, Dionne AR, Purvis L, Romano ME, Gunn CM, Rees JR. A qualitative study exploring barriers and motivators influencing home radon testing decisions and behaviors. Sci Rep. 2026 Feb 13; 16(1). PMID: 41688679; PMCID: PMC12982747; DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-39513-4;
     
  3. St Angelo M, Romano ME, Gallagher L, Gunn CM. Supporting informed decisions about breast cancer screening in communities with known environmental contamination: a pre-post study. Cancer Causes Control. 2025 Dec 27; 37(1):11. PMID: 41455034
     
  4. Bagley SM, Maschke AD, Harris MTH, Walley AY, Johnson S, Hurstak E, Farley J, Keller SG, McMahan VM, Barrett C, Coffin PO, Gunn CM. A qualitative study exploring motivations for participating in research among women who use opioids. PLoS One. 2025; 20(11):e0336061.View Related Profiles. PMID: 41264582; PMCID: PMC12633877; DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0336061;
     
  5. Aliberti GM, Wolfson EA, Gunn CM, Shah SJ, Schonberg MA. Reported Breast MRI Among U.S. Women Undergoing Screening Mammography: a National Cross-Sectional Study. J Gen Intern Med. 2025 Nov 11. PMID: 41217637; PMCID: PMC12771394; DOI: 10.1007/s11606-025-10008-8;
     
  6. St Angelo M, Stevens CJ, Beidler LB, Emond JA, Tosteson ANA, Gunn CM. Use of Ecological Momentary Assessment to Measure Affect-Based Feeling States Among Rural Breast Cancer Survivors: A Feasibility Study Guided by the Integrated Screening Action Model. Int J Behav Med. 2025 Oct 27. PMID: 41145781
     
  7. Gunn CM, Boyer N, Sheikh S, Lee JM, Woloshin S, Specht JM, Hubbard RA, Bowles EJA, Su YR, Tosteson ANA. Patient and Physician Perspectives on Using Risk Prediction to Support Breast Cancer Surveillance Decision Making. Med Decis Making. 2026 Jan; 46(1):35-46. PMID: 41117001; PMCID: PMC12614505; DOI: 10.1177/0272989X251379888;
     
  8. Ma G, Scully MG, Luo J, Feng JH, Gunn CM, diFlorio-Alexander RM, Tosteson ANA, Kraft SA, Marrero WJ. Modeling the impact of social determinants on breast cancer screening: a data-driven approach. Front Med (Lausanne). 2025; 12:1644287. PMID: 40909461; PMCID: PMC12405414; DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1644287;
     
  9. Ash RW, Carpenter-Song E, Sosin AN, Moen EL, Gunn C. The role of place-based consciousness in COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: A survey analysis across rural and urban subgroups in the U.S. Soc Sci Med. 2025 May; 373:118019. PMID: 40179571; PMCID: PMC12323697; DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118019;
     
  10. Beidler LB, Zayhowski K, Nahorniak M, Loo S, Gignac GA, Wang C, Gunn CM. Perceptions and Use of Germline Genetic Testing Among Patients With Prostate Cancer. JCO Oncol Pract. 2025 Oct; 21(10):1468-1474.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40030090; DOI: 10.1200/OP-24-00624;
     
Showing 10 of 78 results. Show More

This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown, or last author.

Bar chart showing 78 publications over 15 distinct years, with a maximum of 13 publications in 2020

YearPublications
20081
20111
20142
20153
20162
20176
20184
20195
202013
20215
20227
202311
20248
20258
20262

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Interactive tool clarifies breast density risks without causing ‘undue anxiety’ after mammogram

Healio 1/27/2020

Breast-density notification letters may be too dense

Reuters 2/14/2019

Many native Spanish speakers unaware of breast density information

Radiology Business 10/30/2018

Breast Density’s Effects On Cancer Risk, Detection A ‘Fast-Moving Target’ In Research

Healio 10/25/2018

Communication, education may help reduce confusion about dense breast notifications

Healio 5/15/2018

2020 Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine: Evans Junior Faculty Research Merit Award
2018 Health Literacy Annual Research Conference: Sabra Woolley Award for Best Oral Abstract Presentation
2016 Boston University Medical Campus: Academy for Faculty Advancement
2016 Society of General Internal Medicine: Milton W. Hamolsky Junior Faculty Scientific Presentation Award Finalist
2016 Boston University School of Public Health: Katherine Skinner Memorial Prize for Dedication to Women’s Health Issues
2016 National Cancer Institute: Cancer Disparities Research Network Early Career Travel Scholarship
2014 National Cancer Institute: Student Travel Scholarship
2011-2015 Komen MATCH Scholar
In addition to these self-described keywords below, a list of MeSH based concepts is available here.

Cancer Prevention
Cancer Risk
Decision-Making
Health Services Research
Qualitative Research Methods
Women's Health
Health Disparities
Health Literacy

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801 Massachusetts Ave Crosstown Center
Boston MA 02118
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