[2] Nápoles' research program has focused on eliminating health inequalities related to cancer treatment and survivorship, self-care behaviors and physician-patient communication.

Her goal is to develop effective socio-behavioral interventions to address these disparities, while contributing to the advancement of scientific methods for their study.

She uses integrated quantitative and qualitative (mixed) research methods to explore mechanisms of health disparities and develop measures and interventions.

This work has included community-based RCTs of a peer-delivered cognitive-behavioral stress management intervention they developed for urban and rural Latinas with breast cancer called Nuevo Amanecer that improved quality of life and reduced depressive and somatic symptoms.

This work is facilitating studies of associations between IPC and disparities in technical processes and outcomes of health care.

[1] In 2003 and 2005, Nápoles received the Rising Star in Cancer Research Award from the Redes En Acción Network, and is a 2016 Susan G. Komen Scholar.