From a multigenerational family farm in Iowa to the forefront of geospatial health research, Dr. Nathanael Stanley has built a career grounded in understanding how systems shape human health. An alumnus of USFs (COPH), his journey reflects a unique blend of disciplines, global experiences and a commitment to translating research into real-world impact.
Raised in Cedar Falls before moving to North Texas, Stanleys early years were defined by his familys international work teaching English as a second language, which further broadened his worldview.
We spent time in Mongolia, Thailand and China, he said. While I was in graduate school, my parents lived in Azerbaijan and I would visit them over the holidays.
These global experiences helped shape his understanding of culture, systems and health beyond borders.
Stanleys path to public health was not exactly linear. He began in anthropology, earning his BS and a graduate certificate in geographic information science and an MA in physical anthropology from Texas State University.
It was during fieldwork in Peru that his trajectory shifted.
As part of my thesis, I conducted research on ecotourism in the Pampa Hermosa Protected Area, he explained. I was studying how rainforest vegetation was used for medicinal purposes and that really sparked my interest in medical systems.
That curiosity eventually evolved into a deeper exploration of policy and society.
My interest in science fiction actually led me to focus on infertility policy for my dissertation, Stanley said. So much science fiction explores fertility, identity and power. Thats happening now in real life through legislation that defines what infertility is, who can be treated and when life begins.
This intersection ultimately led him to pursue his at the COPH.
Public health in practice never involves a single discipline, he said. Its never just epidemiology, never just policy. Its everything at once. My time at the COPH helped me understand how to work across disciplines and collaborate with different types of experts.
During his time as a student, Stanley found both opportunity and challenge. He credited the COPHs applied learning environment with supporting and shaping his multidisciplinary approach to public health and gained more experience while working at USF World in the developmental stages of the Global Discovery Hub.
I taught various graduate and undergraduate courses at the COPH between 2015-2020, receiving an adjunct professorship to teach the Public Health GIS courses in 2019.
Stanley earned his in 2020.
Having graduated in December 2020 when the COVID-19 travel bans and lockdown measures were being implemented, there were no options for post-doctoral appointments as all I applied to were canceled until further notice due to the pandemic, he said. When I graduated, I was working already at Moffitt Cancer Center part-time as a research coordinator with the Tampa Bay Community Cancer Network and transitioned to the newly formed Office of Community Outreach and Engagement as a GIS specialist.
Dr. Nathaniel Stanley (far right) during an All4HealthFL Collaborative tour of the new Feeding Tampa Bay building in Tampa. The visit was part of a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) meeting, where Stanley contributed to the collaboratives development efforts and facilitated community focus groups through his role as Community Benefit Specialist at Moffitt Cancer Center. (Photo courtesy of Stanley)
Stanleys career has consistently centered on one connecting thread: geographic information systems or GIS. From early work in archaeology to teaching and research, GIS has served as the bridge between disciplines.
He currently serves as an applied research scientist at Moffitt Cancer Center, where he plays a critical role in the Office of Community Outreach and Engagement (COE).
My work focuses on geospatial analytics, data integration and system development, he explained. Ive completed over 300 analytic requests and contributed to 45 grant projects.
His work directly supports cancer center operations, community outreach strategy and organizational growth across a 23-county service area. By integrating population data, mapping health disparities and designing data systems, Stanley said he helps ensure that resources are aligned with community needs.
I like that my role is both operations and research-based, he said. The insights I provide directly influence how the cancer center grows and how we serve communities, and now the methods were developing are being adopted by other cancer centers. Its exciting to see that kind of translation from research into practice.
Stanley joined Moffitt at a pivotal moment, as cancer centers nationwide were building new models for community outreach under National Cancer Institute guidelines.
It felt like a startup environment, he said. We were building systems and frameworks in real time. I like that kind of fast-paced, high-responsibility work.
His contributions have been widely recognized. As part of the COE office, they received the highest possible rating during their first national evaluation and later earned the Spirit of Moffitt Award for innovations in community data systems, a project Stanley helped design over five years.
Beyond his institutional work, Stanley also contributes to national policy through his role on the executive board for the national fertility advocacy organization, Fertility Within Reach.
My dissertation focused on infertility insurance policy, so its been really rewarding to help guide legislation and improve access to fertility care, he said. The organization has supported policy efforts in 35 states and influences national conversations around reproductive health.
Stanleys work continues to evolve as he explores new ways to understand complex health systems.
Im really interested in systems science and system dynamics modeling, he said. Health care is a complex system and I want to better understand what sustains it, what breaks it and how people access it.
Stanley (right) presented findings from the Modelers and Storytellers training program, an R25 grant through the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health focused on preparing early-career scientists in community-engaged, transdisciplinary systems science. (Photo courtesy of Stanley)
After completing advanced training through University of California, Los Angeles, Stanley said he is eager to apply these methods to public health research and practice and remains connected to the next generation of public health professionals through mentorship and program development.
He even created an internship opportunity through Moffits COE office, touching the future of public health.
The COE data internship allows me to bring in students to work on geospatial research specific to cancer and community outreach.
Their first intern was COPH graduate student, Anusha Parajuli.
He recently mentored another COPH student, Aarya Satardekar, through USFs who won first place among 46 other abstracts at the national 2026 Catchment Area Data Conference of Excellence presented by the Association of American Cancer Institutes.
Its been really fun seeing the different student projects, their ideas, their reasons for why theyre doing the research and getting to advise them on methods and insights, he said.
Looking to his own future, Stanleys next professional goal is earning his Geographic Information Systems Professional certification, the highest designation in the field and said he is interested in teaching again.
Fast Five
What did you dream of becoming when you were young?
An astronaut. I will get to outer space.
Where would we find you on the weekend?
With my three dogs or working with my plants
What is the last book you read?
Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix by J.K. Rowling. A few grad school friends from Texas State and I are going through all the books in a book club. I hadnt read them before watching the movies, so its fun to talk about the differences and seeing more context and roles of different characters in the story.
What superpower would you like to have?
Reality manipulation
Whats your all-time favorite movie?
What About Bob?