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 USF鈥檚 (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, Stanley鈥檚 early years were defined by his family鈥檚 international work teaching English as a second language, which further broadened his worldview.
鈥淲e spent time in Mongolia, Thailand and China,鈥 he said. 鈥淲hile I was in graduate school, my parents lived in Azerbaijan and I would visit them over the holidays.鈥
These global experiences helped shape his understanding of culture, systems and health beyond borders.
Stanley鈥檚 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.
鈥淎s part of my thesis, I conducted research on ecotourism in the Pampa Hermosa Protected Area,鈥 he explained. 鈥淚 was studying how rainforest vegetation was used for medicinal purposes and that really sparked my interest in medical systems.鈥
That curiosity eventually evolved into a deeper exploration of policy and society.
鈥淢y interest in science fiction actually led me to focus on infertility policy for my dissertation,鈥 Stanley said. 鈥淪o much science fiction explores fertility, identity and power. That鈥檚 happening now in real life through legislation that defines what infertility is, who can be treated and when life begins.鈥
This intersection ultimately led him to pursue his at the COPH.
鈥淧ublic health in practice never involves a single discipline,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 never just epidemiology, never just policy. It鈥檚 everything at once. My time at the COPH helped me understand how to work across disciplines and collaborate with different types of experts.鈥
During his time as a student, Stanley found both opportunity and challenge. He credited the COPH鈥檚 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.
鈥淚 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.
鈥淗aving 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,鈥 he said. 鈥淲hen 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.鈥
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 collaborative鈥檚 development efforts and facilitated community focus groups through his role as Community Benefit Specialist at Moffitt Cancer Center. (Photo courtesy of Stanley)
Stanley鈥檚 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).
鈥淢y work focuses on geospatial analytics, data integration and system development,鈥 he explained. 鈥淚鈥檝e completed over 300 analytic requests and contributed to 45 grant projects.鈥
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.
鈥淚 like that my role is both operations and research-based,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he insights I provide directly influence how the cancer center grows and how we serve communities, and now the methods we鈥檙e developing are being adopted by other cancer centers. It鈥檚 exciting to see that kind of translation from research into practice.鈥
Stanley joined Moffitt at a pivotal moment, as cancer centers nationwide were building new models for community outreach under National Cancer Institute guidelines.
鈥淚t felt like a startup environment,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e were building systems and frameworks in real time. I like that kind of fast-paced, high-responsibility work.鈥
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.
鈥淢y dissertation focused on infertility insurance policy, so it鈥檚 been really rewarding to help guide legislation and improve access to fertility care,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he organization has supported policy efforts in 35 states and influences national conversations around reproductive health.鈥
Stanley鈥檚 work continues to evolve as he explores new ways to understand complex health systems.
鈥淚鈥檓 really interested in systems science and system dynamics modeling,鈥 he said. 鈥淗ealth care is a complex system and I want to better understand what sustains it, what breaks it and how people access it.鈥
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 Moffit鈥檚 COE office, touching the future of public health.
鈥淭he COE data internship allows me to bring in students to work on geospatial research specific to cancer and community outreach.鈥
Their first intern was COPH graduate student, Anusha Parajuli.
He recently mentored another COPH student, Aarya Satardekar, through USF鈥檚 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.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been really fun seeing the different student projects, their ideas, their reasons for why they鈥檙e doing the research and getting to advise them on methods and insights,鈥 he said.
Looking to his own future, Stanley鈥檚 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?
鈥淗arry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix鈥 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 hadn鈥檛 read them before watching the movies, so it鈥檚 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
What鈥檚 your all-time favorite movie?
鈥淲hat About Bob?鈥