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About Us

Introduction to Through the Lens

Welcome! We are thrilled that your path led you to Through the Lens and sincerely hope that it inspires you to learn more about young adult cancer. On this site, you will find art and narratives from young adult (ages 18-39) cancer survivors that portray the unique experiences of cancer during this pivotal developmental time point.

You can also gather resource information for yourself or someone you know who may be facing cancer in young adulthood. We hope that you take some time to get to know the artists’ work and invite others to share in their art and narratives.

Meet the Through the Lens Photovoice Leadership Team

Jen Currin-McCulloch

Dr. Jen Currin-McCulloch is an Associate Professor of Social Work at Colorado State University. She has had the opportunity to spend her career in oncology and palliative care and has a special passion for factors that promote hope and meaning. From her days working in the hospital, she met many young adults going through cancer who longed for their medical team to ask about things in their lives that bring joy and hope.

She has been fortunate to receive funding from the American Cancer Society and Cambia Health Foundation to allow her to focus her time working alongside young adult cancer survivors through her research and advocacy to promote awareness of their developmentally unique health and mental health experiences. When she’s not working, she enjoys time with her family, dogs, knitting, hiking, and eating baked goods.

Portrait of Jen Currin McCulloch smiling

Yixuan Wang

Yixuan Wang (she/her) is a third-year doctoral student and research assistant in the School of Social Work at Colorado State University. Her research interests focus on child-centered pediatric palliative care and elevating the voices of young people with serious illness in the study of their psychosocial and existential well-being, especially through artistic approaches (e.g., drawing and photovoice).

Yixuan is currently working on a project about meaning-making in children and adolescents with cancer. The ultimate goal of her research is to promote equitable youth-adult partnerships in clinical care, research, and policy, and to advance health equity by centering the perspectives and lived experiences of young people with cancer.

Portrait of Yixuan Wang smiling.

Danielle Peterson

Danielle Peterson is a licensed clinical social worker and certified in oncology social work. Danielle began her social work career focused on providing trauma-informed care to individuals facing intimate partner violence, homelessness, and mental illness, but has spent the last twelve years as an oncology social worker. Danielle has since worked at the local and national levels with non-profit organizations supporting people of all ages affected by cancer.

Along with providing one-to-one and group-based emotional support to people affected by cancer, she also has expertise related to health literacy and creating patient-facing health-related education. As a faculty member, Danielle has taught healthcare students in a variety of topics, including ethics, culture and diversity, and grief and loss.

Portrait of Danielle Peterson smiling in an open field.

Alumni Student Researchers

The Through the Lens intervention design and implementation would not have been possible without the support and encouragement from our graduate social work research assistants, Shivani Kaushik and Juliana Borrego.

Young Adult Advisory Board

Aerial Donovan

Aerial is the Co-Founder and Chief Program Officer of Cactus Cancer Society, where she helps young adults facing cancer cope through creativity and harnesses the power of peer advocacy in a safe, vibrant online community.

Drawing on her own journey through survivorship and caregiving, Aerial channels her firsthand experience into programs that foster connection, resilience, and healing. Her greatest passion is supporting this community as they navigate life beyond diagnosis—proving that even in life’s prickliest seasons, hope and creativity can bloom.

Abigail Santos

Abigail Santos has dedicated her artistic career to community engagement and social impact. She earned her BFA from the University of North Florida in 2018. As an artist in residence at Art With a Heart In Healthcare in Jacksonville, Florida, she’s provided personalized fine art experiences that promote healing in patients and their families. Her commitment to service became personal when she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2021.

She has been in remission since 2022, and her passion for helping others is demonstrated through her volunteer work with Live For Today Foundation, helping young adults with cancer by providing dynamic opportunities, fostering community support, and promoting healthy living. When she’s not working, you can find her spending time with friends and family, catching sunrises at the beach, exploring different cities, and trying new coffee shops.

Ashley Landi

Ashley currently lives in New York and is a 7-year acute lymphoblastic leukemia survivor. She is passionate about young adult cancer advocacy and hopes to obtain a master’s degree in social work to eventually become an oncology social worker.

Cathleen Chen

Cathleen values human connection, creativity, and an integrative approach to wellness. She currently works as a board-certified psychiatrist with young adults in the college setting and, in the future, hopes to use her personal experiences with cancer to bridge the mental health gap faced by AYA cancer survivors and thrivers.

She holds such immense gratitude for all the humans who worked on this project and helped envision how to share the young adult cancer experience with the world.

Christina Koslya

Christina Kosyla is an educator, theatre artist, and accidental rare disease advocate. Her performance and directorial work have been seen in diverse venues such as the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Edinburgh, Scotland, and jazz festivals in Tuscany.

Since her diagnosis with a desmoid tumor in 2018, she has advocated for rare disease research and patient support through speaking engagements on podcasts, social media, and as the keynote speaker at CancerCon 2020. Christina now works as a Program Coordinator with Cactus Cancer Society and proudly serves on the Board of Directors for the Desmoid Tumor Research Foundation. She lives in New Jersey with her dog, Daisy.

Madi Howard (Fishtrom)

Madi Howard (Fishtrom) is a Lymphoma survivor. Being a part of the YAB for this project has been a highlight of her year, and she is excited to see the impact it will have on young adult survivorship.

Sonia Su

Sonia Su is the Founder and Executive Director of Kits to Heart, a nonprofit with a mission to bring smiles and solidarity to those affected by cancer. At age 24, Sonia was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. At her lowest point in treatment, Sonia received a sweet care package from a former patient, which inspired her to pay the kindness forward.

Having overcome grueling treatments, she returned to school, earned her graduate degree from Georgetown University, and founded Kits to Heart in 2020. Now, Sonia oversees the day-to-day operations of the organization and its volunteers, providing tools and resources to patients, caregivers, and healthcare workers. Sonia finds joy in bringing joy and ultimately working to ensure others never feel alone or hopeless in difficult times.