Academy of Community & Public Service
The Academy of Community and Public Service (ACPS) honors faculty from the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, and Mailman School of Public Health, who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to advancing clinical care, medical education, and research—both in our local community and globally. As a cornerstone of faculty recognition, ACPS joins the Academy of Clinical Excellence and the Virginia Apgar Academy of Medical Educators in celebrating the remarkable contributions of our faculty.
Co-Chairs
Olajide Williams, MD
Member of 2020
Vice Dean of Community Research and Engagement and Professor of Neurology and Health Policy and Management
Rafael Lantigua, MD
Member of Class 2020
Associate Dean for Community Service; Department of Medicine and Professor of Medicine at CUMC
Steering Committee
Graham Barr
Hamilton Southworth Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology, Dpt. of Medicine
Member of Class 2020
Ana Cepin
Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the CUIMC
Member of Class of 2021
Jeanine D’Armiento
Professor of Medicine in Anesthesiology and Physiology and Cellular Biophysics
Member of Class of 2021
Stephen Ferrara
Professor of Nursing at the Columbia University Medical Center; Associate Dean of Artificial Intelligence
Member of Class of 2021
Julie Herbstman
Professor of Environmental Health Sciences
Member of Class of 2021
Class of 2023
Dr. Chang has dedicated over 20 years to leadership in graduate and undergraduate medical education at Columbia University while advancing practice and informatics improvement initiatives. A recipient of numerous teaching awards, she is also a member of the Academy for Clinical Excellence at VP&S. Beyond academia, Dr. Chang’s commitment to community service is evident in her work with The Armory Foundation’s Seniors AIM High(link is external and opens in a new window) program and Guardian Angels, fostering health education and outreach for older adults and local youth in Washington Heights.
Dr. Choi is dedicated to advancing cancer care and health equity in the Westchester community, with a research focus on community needs and metastatic breast cancer. She has led efforts to screen for food insecurity, build community partnerships for cancer prevention, and develop a sexual health program for cancer patients. Recognized annually as a Top Doctor in Westchester Magazine and by Castle Connolly, she remains committed to providing compassionate, high-quality care and expanding access to critical support services.
Dr. Hahn-Schroeder imparts her commitment to underserved populations and community service as a board member of several community and CUIMC organizations and committees. She was a dedicated volunteer in the COVID vaccination effort. Dr. Hahn-Schroeder is now leading efforts to improve community-police relationships by implementing stress remediation and mental health interventions for law enforcement.
Dr. Hanson is dedicated to fostering a diverse and well-supported nursing workforce, ensuring nurses can provide the best care for both their patients and themselves. Motivated by the challenges her students have shared, she has spearheaded initiatives to equip nurses with essential resilience and mental health resources. As the Director of Diversity Programming, she co-leads forums engaging hundreds of students and faculty to promote equitable recruitment, retention, and career advancement.
Dr. Hernández has devoted her career to community-driven research exploring the connections between health, housing, neighborhoods, and poverty, with a particular focus on energy insecurity in Northern Manhattan and the South Bronx. Passionate about turning research into action, she actively collaborates with advocacy organizations to inform policy and drive systemic change. Her work has been instrumental in efforts to secure state-level utility rate reductions and strengthen consumer protections for vulnerable communities.
Dr. Leung operates on the principles of empowerment and humility in psychiatric care. She has been able to implement these values on a greater scale in overseeing a community-based clinic that provides behavioral health care primarily to patients from Northern Manhattan and the South Bronx.
Throughout his career, Dr. Michalowicz has focused on treating people with intellectual and physical disabilities. In 2022, he became the inaugural director of management of vulnerable populations at CDM. In this position, Dr. Michalowicz is creating an infrastructure to more effectively care for special needs patients through school-wide policies, a service-learning curriculum, and a special needs fellowship.
Dr. Noble has advanced care for patients through community engagement. He launched Arts & Minds(link is external and opens in a new window), a celebrated arts program for patients with dementia. He has created and contributed to several neurology education programs in the organization Hip Hop Public Health(link is external and opens in a new window). Dr. Noble is also a mentor to many medical and public health students.
Dr. Paris Tehranifar is dedicated to advancing community-based cancer research and screenings, partnering with local organizations to ensure broader access to critical health information. Her groundbreaking work has documented the long-term effects of early-life economic hardship and discrimination on the epigenome. Committed to fostering diversity in STEM, she also volunteers with community education programs to inspire and support the next generation of scientists.
Dr. Torres-Deas is a passionate advocate for health equity, championing the well-being of the Northern Manhattan community, fellow physicians, and public health on a national scale. Through her work in recruitment, retention, and education, she is shaping a more diverse and culturally competent medical workforce. Recently awarded a HRSA grant, she is leading an initiative to teach medical Spanish, incorporating education about the Washington Heights community to enhance patient-centered care.
Class of 2022
Dr. Armstrong-Coben is a champion and pioneer of Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s service learning for medical students and pediatric house officers. She has provided pediatric care, advocated at the state and federal levels, and promoted community health and service learning for trainees. In her role as Senior Associate Dean for Admissions at VP&S, she works tirelessly in conjunction with the office diversity to ensure a diverse student body and continues paving a legacy of community and public service.
Dr. Chang has led Emergency Department efforts to improve social determinants of health in the community. In creating the Social Emergency Medicine Committee, Dr. Chang has led the group to pursue academic and community service goals such as expanding scholarship, connecting post-discharge community members with resources, and establishing a mentorship program for 9th and 10th graders, now in its second year.
Dr. Culas has developed patient-centered psychiatric services for the community by translating evidence-based care and listening to community partners. She has worked with over 20 senior centers across Northern Manhattan to create wellbeing programs for both the participants and staff and made significant contributions to bolstering mental health care in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Duarte’s thriving research portfolio addresses psychiatric issues impacting low-income, underserved, and marginalized children in communities from the South Bronx to Puerto Rico, Brazil to Mozambique. In addition, Dr. Duarte is a steadfast mentor to scholars underrepresented in medicine at our University and around the world.
As a family nurse practitioner, Dr. Fahey has tended to her patients’ physical, emotional, and social needs in and outside of the clinic. She has led numerous educational programs. One of these students later sought out Dr. Fahey to care for her child, a testament to the warm, welcoming care that Dr. Fahey provides.
Dr. Hilpert has made groundbreaking contributions to science – examining the association between novel sources of traffic data (Google traffic congestion maps displayed on smartphones) and air pollution. His research was designed and conducted in response to community health concerns stemming from the undue burden of traffic on the South Bronx community caused by a trucking warehouse. The research findings his team disseminated to community and policy makers are currently being used to implement policies to mitigate the adverse environmental health effects of traffic in the Bronx. For instance, on last year’s Earth Day, Congressman Richie Torres unveiled legislation to monitor air quality in the Bronx.
Dr. Laura Kelly, PhD, NP, PMHCNS-BC
Dr. Kelly has provided high-quality psychiatric care to communities with limited access to these services including incarcerated individuals, undocumented workers, and LGBTQA and Orthodox Jewish communities. She started the organization Yad Rachel through which she has helped to provide psychiatric services to over 1500 Orthodox childbearing women.
Dr. Minguez has community service and education as her center platform to advance health equity initiatives across diverse community stakeholders, including Community School District 6. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she spearheaded a series of virtual health education and information sessions directed toward teachers, parents, and students to increase awareness of the importance of vaccinations and to provide hands-on tips on safety measures around COVID-19 prevention. She is the director of the Lang Youth Medical Program(link is external and opens in a new window), preparing the new generation of diverse future healthcare leaders. The program works with local 7th grade students through their high school graduation.
Mary Moran, MS, FNP, MPH, CCRN-K, ACLS, BLS, RN
Mrs. Moran has dedicated herself to initiatives locally and globally in her over 40 years at Columbia Univeristy Irving Medical Center. She has established health programs in Ghana and Ethiopia. At home in Northern Manhattan, led CPR, Stop the Bleed, and opioid overdose prevention trainings to hundreds of residents.
Jeanne Neugebauer-Churchill
Dr. Churchill has focused on serving refugee families as a family nurse practitioner and educator. She leads the School of Nursing in projects with local organizations such as The Armory’s Men’s Shelter(link is external and opens in a new window), Dominican Women’s Development Center(link is external and opens in a new window), and NY Cares(link is external and opens in a new window).
Sabrina Opiola McCauley, DNP, MSN, BS, CPNP, NNP-BC
Dr. Opiola McCauley is a pediatric nurse practitioner who has supported parents and families, especially in immigrant communities, in nurturing their children. Her service extends beyond clinical efforts to developing and implementing programs in literacy, health, and music.
Dr. Rauh’s research focuses on the impacts of air pollutant exposure in prenatal and early childhood development as well the adverse effects that toxic environmental exposures have on disadvantaged communities. She has worked tirelessly alongside government and community stakeholders to disseminate her research findings and to translate these into action. Her unique community engagement approach has resulted in banning of hazardous pesticides for home and agricultural use. Dr. Rauh’s partnership with community-based environmental groups such as the West Harlem Environmental Action (WE ACT(link is external and opens in a new window)) has significantly increased community awareness, education, and engagement around toxic environmental exposures.
Dr. Shelton is a national expert on implementation and dissemination science. Her contributions in Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR)(link is external and opens in a new window) have positively impacted disadvantaged communities. She has partnered with a national-evidenced based Lay Health Advisor program for African American women to advance understanding on how to support and sustain community-led interventions, particularly in settings and populations that experience structural barriers to health and healthcare access. Her work in the field of implementation sciences is focused on building capacity at the national and global level. Community and public services are at core of every aspect of Dr. Shelton’s research and educational endeavors.
Dr. Terry has centered her work around community engagement, equity, and diversity. She has spearheaded a team of multilingual community health educators, health communication specialists, and outreach workers to reduce the cancer burden in our Cancer Center’s catchment area. Her team works closely with community advisory boards to design and implement culturally appropriate programs for cancer screening, HPV vaccinations, anti-smoking, and anti-vaping campaigns. Dr. Terry also leads a summer training and scientific enrichment programs for high schools and undergraduate students in northern Manhattan. The program aims to reduce cancer burden and health inequities through mentorship and training with an emphasis on causation at multiple levels, through the social determinants of health, and across the life span.
Dr. Wainberg’s work is centered on transforming mental health education, training, clinical services, and research through public mental health implementation science. His efforts hinge on close collaboration with local partners, including community health workers. Dr. Wainberg is championing access to mental health services to underserved communities in the Mental Wellness Equity Center through a SAHMSA grant funded by Congressman Adriano Espaillat.
Dr. Zork is described as a “quiet warrior” by the OBGYN department but her actions echo in their service to the community. She cares for women with high-risk pregnancies and established a comprehensive and multidisciplinary program for women with gestational diabetes, developing educational materials, ensuring continuity of care, and partnering with community organizations to provide healthy food options.
Class of 2021
Maura Elizabeth Abbott, PhD, AOCNP, CPNP-PC, RN
Dr. Abbott promotes community health and health care issues in both her academic and clinical work. Through her service and involvement in the Oncology Nursing Club, Ambulatory Care Network’s Cancer Center Screening Services, and the New York State Cancer Consortium Survivorship Action Team(link is external and opens in a new window), Dr. Abbott’s work has focused on increasing cancer screening and on improving our community’s understanding of cancer.
Luz Aguirre
Through her community work at the DentCare Program and the National Health Service Corps(link is external and opens in a new window), Dr. Aguirre is committed to helping underserved communities and dedicating herself to reducing oral health disparities by service and education. Dr. Aguirre instills in her students the importance of volunteering and participating in organized dentistry as tools to bridge the gaps in oral health care.
Adena Bargad, PhD, MSN, CNM, RN
Dr. Bargad is a nationally recognized trainer in contraceptive methods and counseling as a consultant trainer for The National Title X Clinical Training Center for Family Planning and Envision Sexual and Reproductive Health. She has devoted her career to community health. Dr. Bargad also serves as volunteer faculty for Promoting Health in Haiti(link is external and opens in a new window), a non-profit organization that established the first advanced practice nursing program for nurses in Haiti.
Dr. Bell has dedicated his career to community service locally, nationally, and internationally. Through his work as the medical director of the Young Men's Clinic(link is external and opens in a new window), President of the President of the Society of Adolescent Health and Medicine(link is external and opens in a new window), and as a member of NYC’s Sexual Health Education Task Force, Dr. Bell has delivered primary care to adolescent and young adult males and advocated for the right of young men to have access to high quality and respectful services.
Joan Bregstein
Dr. Bregstein’s interests include access to care, narrative medicine, and faculty development. She has spent much of her career focusing on community outreach and access to care on many levels. Throughout her efforts, Dr. Bregstein has spearheaded an Annual Children’s Health Fair for 20 years, impacting the lives of more than 10,000 Washington Heights school-aged children; has ran a National CME course for 5 years focusing on pediatric emergency medicine for emergency medicine providers not trained in Pediatrics; and has acted as a liaison between our community and the Pediatric Emergency Department.
Dr. Cohall is a native son of the Northern Manhattan community. Throughout his career, Dr. Cohall has focused on improving health outcomes for adolescents and young adults in our local community. Dr. Cohall supports and serves as director of several community-based programs including, among many others, Project Stay (Services to Assist Youth),(link is external and opens in a new window) which provides confidential health services to young people affected by or infected with HIV/AIDS.
Jennifer E. Dohrn, MS, BA, DNP, CNM, NP
Dr. Dohrn has integrated her experiences in complex humanitarian emergencies and racial injustice into two decades of teaching midwifery and global health equity. Among other projects, Dr. Dohrn initiated the first freestanding maternity center in an inner city in the United States in the Bronx, worked in Sub-Saharan African countries to expand the role of nurses and midwives in primary and HIV care, led the expansion of global clinical practicum experiences in nursing education, and is now part of an initiative to study the role of nurses in pandemic response.
Dr. Garcon works to improve the lives of homebound geriatric patients and has worked effortlessly throughout her career to influence the lives of the people she encounters. She has served the Washington Heights area as a registered nurse, a family nurse practitioner, a site surveyor for the Medical Center Neighborhood Fund, and has been a community leader. Her mission extends to charitable work for the community and abroad, especially in her native country of Haiti.
Dr. Jenkins proudly serves as Associate Dean for Access Equity and Inclusion and serves on multiple administrative committees at Columbia University. Dr. Jenkins oversees The Three Doctors Foundation(link is external and opens in a new window) which is a New Jersey based non-profit dedicated to health outreach, educational excellence, and youth mentoring. Throughout his career, Dr. Jenkins has dedicated himself to inspire others to pursue higher education, to encourage an interest in medicine and dental careers, and to achieve one’s goals through strength and perseverance.
Beth J. Maletz, MSN, BSN, BA, DNP, FPMHNP
Dr. Maletz’ career has been dedicated to caring for those most impacted by disparities and injustices in our world. Through her work as a psychiatric nurse practitioner and her involvement with NewYork-Presbyterian and Citizens’ Committee for Children(link is external and opens in a new window), Dr. Maletz has worked to provide mental health treatment to children and families impacted by social determinants of health and to improve maternal mental health and early childhood social, emotional, and developmental outcomes around New York City.
Dr. Matiz works to decrease health disparities and to expand the delivery of culturally competent care. Through her work, Dr. Matiz oversees the clinical integration and model development of the Patient Navigator and Community Health Worker(link is external and opens in a new window) programs. Dr Matiz has served as the medical director of WIN for Asthma, a nationally recognized program to strengthen community-wide asthma management for children in Northern Manhattan which later expanded the community health worker model to multiple populations.
Dr. Dennis A. Mitchell has dedicated his career to advancing health equity, improving access to dental care, and fostering diversity in the health professions. Committed to serving underserved communities, he co-created and launched the Community DentCare Network, which now provides over 20,000 patient visits annually, ensuring quality dental care regardless of ability to pay. Through his leadership at Columbia, he has played a pivotal role in strengthening diversity initiatives and overseeing programs that support the recruitment, retention, and advancement of underrepresented faculty. As Co-Principal Investigator of the Summer Health Professions Education Program and the Summer Public Health Scholars Program, he has helped mentor and empower over 125 young scholars each year, shaping the next generation of healthcare professionals.
Dr. Silverstein’s concerns about the quality of secondary science education led him to found Columbia’s Summer Research Program for Secondary Science Teachers in 1990. The program enables science teachers to engage in hands-on laboratory research under the mentorship of Columbia University and NY Stem Cell Foundation. The Program’s educational excellence has been recognized by national, state, and local awards and has catalyzed the formation of three similar New York State programs.
As the Director of the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health, Dr. Herbstman leads efforts to recruit, follow, and study mothers and their children who live in Washington Heights, Harlem, and the Bronx. Dr. Herbstman has worked with local community partners, including WE ACT for Environmental Justice, to ensure that research is bi-directional: that we are informing local communities about the results of our research, and we are addressing research questions that are of concern to the local community.
2020 Inaugural Class
Rafael A. Lantigua
Dr. Lantigua’s clinical and research focus on promoting the health of diverse communities in the Washington Heights and Inwood areas. Since coming to Columbia in 1980, he has a distinguished record of improving the health of aging minorities while advancing community partnerships and community-based participatory research.
Olajide Williams
Dr. Williams’ research focuses on community-based interventions with an emphasis on stroke health disparities. He is an NIH-funded researcher with several R01-level awards and a large U54 stroke disparities center award. Dr. Williams is the founder of Hip-Hop Public Health(link is external and opens in a new window), which targets impoverished communities through an entertainment education.
Graham Barr
Dr. Barr’s research focuses on respiratory epidemiology. He is a principal investigator for the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) Lung Study and is principal investigator for the Spirometry Reading Center for the Hispanic Community Health Study.
Kellie Bryant
Dr. Bryant is an expert in the field of simulation through her experience with designing simulation centers and implementing simulation programs. Dr. Bryant utilizes the simulation center as a resource for implementing community service projects that promote health equality through programs like the opioid overdose prevention trainings, community CPR classes, health fairs, and COVID-19 vaccinations.
Ana Cepin
A native of Washington Heights, Dr. Cepin provides care to patients in our community who are uninsured or underinsured through her role as the medical director of the NY-Presbyterian/Ambulatory Care Network Family Planning Practice. Dr. Cepin is also engaged in efforts to improve the health outcomes of the women in our community and is committed to advancing health equity in her role as Director of Community Women’s Health and Co-Director of the Ob/Gyn Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Jeanine D'Armiento
Dr. D’Armiento studies mechanisms that lead to lung destruction. Her interest in global health has led to studies in India documenting the direct dangers of biomass exposure on lung function. Dr. D’Armiento runs one of the largest centers in the country for patients suffering from the rare disease Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), and for the past 19 years, she has directed the Summer Program for Undergraduate Rising Stars (SPURS)(link is external and opens in a new window) at Columbia University – a pipeline training program for students underrepresented in science and medicine.
Stephen Ferrara
Dr. Ferrara believes that among the most important considerations in the delivery of care are the decisions and options that patients make within their communities. Dr. Ferrara led the expansion of the CUSON’s Washington Heights primary care faculty practice by engaging with community stakeholders. Dr. Ferrara started the only formalized nurse practitioner house calls practice to deliver primary care to home-bound patients in Washington Heights and Inwood and is working to bring primary palliative care to patients in nearby communities.
Julie Herbstman
As the Director of the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health, Dr. Herbstman leads efforts to recruit, follow, and study mothers and their children who live in Washington Heights, Harlem, and the Bronx. Dr. Herbstman has worked with local community partners, including WE ACT for Environmental Justice, to ensure that research is bi-directional: that we are informing local communities about the results of our research, and we are addressing research questions that are of concern to the local community.
Spencer Amory
Dr. Amory has focused on increasing the accessibility of surgical care in our local community and around the world. He pioneered laparoscopic surgery at the Allen Hospital in 1990, has obtained hospital privileges for surgeons in the community, and has conducted outreach to neighborhood primary care providers and community members.
Maria de Miguel
Dr. De Miguel practices primary care at the Associates in Internal Medicine (AIM) clinic and cares for patients from the community. Dr. De Miguel has focused academically on teaching residents and students about community health, social determinants of health, and community-academic partnerships.
Jordan Foster
Dr. Foster has devoted many years of service to community-facing programs, such as the SAFE(link is external and opens in a new window), RELAY(link is external and opens in a new window), and ANCHOR(link is external and opens in a new window) programs, that provide incredibly important services to our patients and the community. Dr. Foster is passionate about providing exceptional care and services to underserved communities.
Scott Hammer
Dr. Hammer completed a 20-year tenure as Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases. He built a dynamic division with the goals of delivering outstanding patient care, developing new knowledge, and training the next generation of physicians. Dr. Hammer dedicated his investigative career to the fight against HIV and played a leadership role in the development of clinical guidelines adopted locally, nationally, and around the globe.
Hilda Hutcherson
Dr. Hutcherson has devoted her career to diversifying the healthcare workforce. She has founded programs to support diverse students, residents, and faculty. Dr. Hutcherson also operates pipeline programs that provide resources for underrepresented students ranging from middle school through graduate school.
Allison Lee
Dr. Lee’s strong desire to give back led her to found the non-profit, Medics On A Mission, Inc., which conducts annual mission trips to rural Jamaica to provide urologic surgeries. Dr. Lee is a mentor for minority and disadvantaged college and high school students in the Northeast Regional Alliance (NERA) MedPrep and State Pre-College Enrichment Programs.
Roberto Lewis-Fernández
Dr. Lewis-Fernández’ research focuses on developing culturally valid interventions and instruments to enhance patient engagement, reduce misdiagnosis, and help overcome disparities affecting underserved cultural groups. His team partners collaboratively with several community organizations. Dr. Lewis-Fernández serves on the Community Services Board and Health and Mental Hygiene Advisory Council of New York City.
Jose Luchsinger
Dr. Luchsinger’s community and public service efforts have included directing the Community Engagement Core Resource of the Columbia CTSA from 2017 to 2019 and being Vice-President of the board of ARC FORT-Washington(link is external and opens in a new window), a senior center in Northern Manhattan since 2011. He has also served in the scientific advisory board of the Columbia CTSA and other committees in the university.
Jennifer Manly
Dr. Manly’s research focuses on mechanisms of disparities in cognitive aging and Alzheimer’s Disease. Dr, Manly’s research team has partnered with the Black and Latinx communities around CUIMC and around the country to investigate social factors across the life course, such as educational opportunities, racism and discrimination, and socioeconomic status, and how these factors relate to cognition and brain health later in life.
Andrew Marks(link is external and opens in a new window)
A major focus of Dr. Mark’s research is the study of mechanisms that regulate muscle contraction. Dr. Marks is the founder of the Summer Program for Under-represented Students (SPURS)(link is external and opens in a new window) at Columbia University, which provides mentored research training for under-represented and economically disadvantaged students primarily from the New York City public colleges and universities.
Richard Mayeux
Dr. Mayeux’s research on Alzheimer’s disease and other degenerative diseases of the aging brain focuses on genetics and epidemiology. Dr. Mayeux has led a multidisciplinary, population-based investigation of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders known as the Washington Heights-Inwood Community Aging Project (WHICAP)(link is external and opens in a new window) since 1989. He studies the rates and risk factors for Alzheimer' disease among elderly of mainly African-American and Caribbean Hispanic descent.
Dodi Meyer
Dr. Meyer’s work focuses in health disparities, community health and cultural competency. She has expertise in developing and sustaining community-academic partnerships for the purpose of training, service and research. As director of Community Pediatrics, she oversees several population health initiatives that address major challenges to children’s health through the contexts of biology, family and community.
Lisa Park
Dr. Park is an advocate for public awareness of eye health. She has been a volunteer surgeon with Hospital de la Familia Foundation in Guatemala(link is external and opens in a new window) for ten years and travels regularly to Africa with Vision Care USA(link is external and opens in a new window) to teach local eye surgeons. Dr. Park also serves on the International Foundation of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and is Vice-Chair of Vision Care USA.
Steven Shea
Dr. Shea’s research focuses on social determinants of health and access to care. Dr. Shea is the principal investigator for the Columbia Field Center for the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, which has been funded by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute to identify risk factors and subclinical phenotypes for cardiovascular disease in a population-based multi-ethnic cohort.
Magdalena Sobieszczyk
Dr. Sobieszczyk’s research focuses on HIV prevention in Black and Latino communities, particularly in women. It is noted that these communities are highly impacted by HIV yet are underrepresented in prevention care and research. Dr. Sobieszczyk examines and addresses disparities in uptake and adherence to prevention modalities in communities around us and works with stakeholders to ensure that community voices are represented.
Melissa Stockwell
As the Director of the Department of Pediatrics’ Center for Children’s Digital Health Research, Dr. Stockwell seeks to understand how to use digital technologies to promote pediatric and population health. Her work concentrates on underserved children and adolescents and focuses on ways to improve vaccination rates and prevent respiratory infection transmission in the community.
Carolyn Westhoff
Dr. Westhoff’s career has focused in efforts related to contraceptive care. She has collaborated with the New York City Department of Health to introduce contraceptive care into the city’s school-based clinics and has been the Chair of Planned Parenthood’s National Medical Committee. Dr. Westhoff is the CUIMC Principal Investigator of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Contraceptive Trials Network.
Richard Younge
Dr. Younge has been the director of the Center for Family and Community Medicine since 2011 and previously served as a faculty member since 2007. The Family Medicine faculty and residents serve the Washington Heights, West Harlem, and Inwood communities providing clinical care in the ACN, school-based health centers, at the Allen Hospital, and the VP&S the student organized clinics.