An Interview with Our New RDU Chair

An Interview with our new Research and Date Use Committee Chair

It was so much fun interviewing the RDU Co-Chairs last December that I decided to interview our newest Co-Chair, Angela Eckstrand, this December Angela replaced Jeff Dowden (our resident rock star) from the Newfoundland Cancer Registry when his tenure ended.

Yes, this means both RDU Chairs are an Angela. We distinguish between them by using the monikers Angela E. and ‘Wilson.’ Together they are affectionately known as Angela². I asked Angela the same questions I asked the RDU Co-Chairs last year.

How did you get into the field of cancer surveillance?

Angela chuckled. Like so many of us, she had never heard of cancer registries prior to applying for a job in a registry. Her first degrees were in psychology and math before she went on to get her MS in Epidemiology while working for the registry (and having her first kid!). From the very beginning, she was involved in both “sides” of the registry—both the registrar and the analyst side. This dual understanding is a great asset for her role as an RDU Co-Chair as well as an advantage in her current position as Manager of the Alberta Cancer Registry.

Aside from work, what are you passionate about?

Angela loves to travel and learn about new places and cultures and all that comes with that. Her kids are at an age where they also appreciate traveling as a family, and it is fun to see curiosity and love of learning through their eyes. Her favorite travel destination pre-kids, is Thailand and Cambodia. Her favorite with kids it is Curaçao, with its good combination of beach and culture.

Her other passion is cookie decorating. She took it up during the pandemic as a self-taught hobby. She loves it because it is a way to express her creative side (she is well-balanced in her job and life!). She likes to mix it up with cookie types, including lemon and gingerbread, but sugar cookies are her favorite. She does piping (not sprinkles!), and says the viscosity of the icing is the key to success. She mainly makes them for her family for holidays and birthdays. The kids choose their birthday theme, and she then matches with the cookies.

What is your vision for RDU?

Angela would like to foster increased collaboration among analysts, as there are not always opportunities to share and collaborate among colleagues. She is excited about RDU continuing the Epi “Hours” and other resources to support this. She is also interested in focusing on efforts in the area of RDU standardization, as it is critical for analysis, too.