Research Interests
Cancer disparities; race-ethnicity related variation in breast cancer burden; breast cancer risk assessment; surgical breast oncology techniques (including lymphatic mapping/sentinel lymph node biopsy; skin and nipple-sparing mastectomy); breast cancer risk reducing surgery; genetics/genomics in breast cancer disparities; workforce diversity in oncology; clinical trials and accrual diversity.
Current Affiliations
Chief, breast surgery; director and chief, Interdisciplinary Breast Program; medical director, International Center for the Study of Breast Cancer Subtypes; staff surgeon and professor, Weill Cornell Medicine/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Network, New York, New York; adjunct professor, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas; adjunct faculty, surgery, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan.
Previous Positions
Director, breast oncology program (2015-2018), and staff surgeon (2015-2018), Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan; professor (2008-2016) and associate professor (2002-2008) of surgery; director, University of Michigan/Hamilton Community Health Network Flint Breast Clinic Outreach Program (2012-2015); faculty associate, global reach program (2013-2015), program director, breast fellowship training program and director, Breast Cancer Center (2002-2015), University of Michigan; staff surgeon, University of Michigan Health Center (2002-2015), Ann Arbor, Michigan; associate professor, surgery, and associate director, Alexander J. Walt Breast Center, Wayne State University and Karmanos Cancer Institute (2000-2002), Detroit, Michigan; assistant professor, surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (1999-2000), Houston, Texas; assistant professor, surgery, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center (1990-1997), Brooklyn, New York.
Education
MPH, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts (2001); MD, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York (1985); BA, chemistry, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts (1981).
Postdoctoral Training
Fellow, surgical oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (1997-1999), Houston, Texas; resident, General Surgery, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center (1985-1990), Brooklyn, New York.
Selected AACR Service, Honors, and Awards
Elected Fellow, AACR Academy (2025); chair, AACR Tellers Committee (2024-2025); recipient, AACR-Pelotonia-Victoria Secret Global Fund for Women’s Cancer Research Meritorious Award (2022); member, Board of Directors (2021-2024); cochair, AACR-AORTIC-NCI Beginning Investigator Grant for Catalytic Research (BIG Cat) Steering Committee (2021-2024); member, Pezcoller Foundation-AACR International Award for Extraordinary Achievement in Cancer Research Committee (2021-2022); member, Precision Combination Therapy Task Force (2021-2023); recipient, AACR-Minorities in Cancer Research Jane Cooke Wright Lectureship (2020); cochair, The Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved (2020); chair (2020-2021) and member (2019-2020), AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report Steering Committee; council member, Minorities in Cancer Research (MICR) Council (2013-2015, 2020-present); member, Finance and Audit Committee (2019-2022); chair, Cancer in Africa Subcommittee (2019-present); member, AACR Margaret Foti Award for Leadership and Extraordinary Achievements in Cancer Research Committee (2018-2020; 2020-2022); member, NextGen Grants for Transformative Cancer Research Committee (2018-2020); member, AACR Cancer Progress Report Committee (2018-2019); member, AACR Annual Meeting Education Committee (2018-2019); cochair, Annual Meeting Program Committee (2017-2019; 2023-2024); member, Special Conferences Committee (2016-2019); chair (2014-2015) and member (2016-2018), AACR Distinguished Lectureship on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities Award Committee, Funded by Susan G. Komen®; chair, AACR Breast Cancer Research Grants Scientific Review Committee (2015-2016); member, BCRF-AACR Grants for Translational Cancer Research Committee (2013-2015).
Selected Non-AACR Service, Honors, and Awards
Elected member, National Academy of Medicine (2023); recipient, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital “Physician of the Year” (2023); honoree, Weill Cornell Medicine Faculty Honor Roll (2022); recipient, SHARE Cancer Support Advocacy Leadership Award (2020); member, scientific advisory board, African Organization for Research and Training in Africa (AORTIC) (2020-present); invited speaker, Annual Lape Visiting Professorship, Penn State University (2020); member, American College of Surgeons Anti-Racism Task Force (2020-present); keynote speaker, Vanderbilt-Meharry Annual Cancer Symposium (2019); recipient, European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) “Rock Stars of Medicine and Science” (2018); recipient, Top Blacks in Health Care (2018); member, Scientific Advisory Board, Susan G. Komen® (2017-present); recipient, Crain’s “Health Care Hero” Award (2017); awardee, Komen Scholar (2016-2019); member, Editorial Board, JAMA Surgery (2015-present); recipient, University of Michigan Sarah Goddard Power Award for Advancement of Women in Academic Medicine (2014); member, Advisory Council for National Institute of Minority Health and Disparities (NIMHD) (2013-present); recipient, “O” Magazine, Angel of Breast Cancer Award (2012).