Laura Pinheiro, PhD, MPH, Appointed to Co-Lead Community Outreach and Engagement at the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center
The Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center (MCC) of Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork- Presbyterian Hospital has appointed Laura Pinheiro, PhD, MPH to join Erica Phillips, MD in co-leading the Center’s Office of Community Outreach and Engagement (COE).
COE is at the foundation of the MCC vision: To reduce the cancer burden across our community and beyond through informed community stakeholders, transdisciplinary research, and exceptional care. The MCC COE team serves a catchment area in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens that is home to nearly 6 million people. Despite multiple outstanding cancer centers in the region, the communities in Brooklyn and Queens continue to experience significantly high rates of cancer incidence and mortality relative to Manhattan and United States. The MCC COE team works to reduce these disparities through a combination of robust community partnerships, targeted outreach, and an understanding of the cancer burden and social determinants of health in the area.
The joint appointment of Drs Pinheiro and Phillips reflects deep integration of outreach and partnership with data and research. This unique dual leadership model is designed to leverage the complementary strengths of these exceptional researchers and foster a culture of shared responsibility and inclusive decision-making. Together, Drs. Pinheiro and Phillips drive the overall success and sustainability of MCC COE, aligning initiatives with NCI designation guidelines and resources across NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine.
Dr. Pinheiro is an Associate Professor of Health Services Research in Medicine and of Epidemiology in Population Health Sciences. She completed her doctoral training the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Department of Health Policy and Management and joined faculty at Weill Cornell Medicine in 2017. Dr. Pinheiro’s research program is focused on improving cancer care delivery across the cancer care continuum. Her work uses both quantitative and qualitative methods to develop and rigorously evaluate real-world interventions to optimize healthcare delivery and quality of life for underserved adults with cancer. In her expanded leadership role, Dr. Pinheiro will continue to represent MCC in the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) Catchment Area Research and Data Science Group. At MCC, she is a member of the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program and serves on the Internal Advisory Councils for CRTEC and Clinical Research.
Learn more about the Meyer Cancer Center's Office of Community Outreach and Engagement programming on our website.
