Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)—two related blood diseases that disproportionally strike older adults—are notoriously difficult to treat and associated with high relapse rates. Although new therapies have improved survival, treatment options remain limited, and the prognosis for the 50% of people who experience disease relapse remains poor.

Researchers at the National Cancer Institute-designated 

Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center

 (MECCC) were recently awarded a four-year, $2.6 million grant from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct an innovative phase 1 clinical trial of a new drug for patients with relapsed and treatment-resistant forms of AML and MDS. It is one of only 10 grants issued this year by the FDA through its Office of Orphan Products Development. 

“This is a tremendous opportunity to apply the knowledge we have developed in our MECCC labs over the past decade to develop a novel therapeutic strategy,” said 

, the principal investigator of the grant, a member of MECCC’s Stem Cell and & Cancer Biology Research Program and Blood Cancer Institute, and associate professor of oncology, 

 at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. 

Drugs that initially work against AML are ineffective when the disease returns. Research suggests that those treatments leave behind leukemic stem cells that are resistant to existing medications and lead to relapsed and drug-resistant AML and MDS.

“We have identified a molecular target in leukemic stem cells and a novel drug that performed well against those stem cells in pre-clinical studies,” Dr. Shastri said. “We are eager to see if this drug and its combinations can provide clinical benefit for our patients.”

AML and MDS are rare diseases with among the worst prognoses of all cancers: most people who develop relapsed or treatment-resistant disease live for only another 4 to 10 months. Since AML is so difficult to treat, most patients receive care at academic cancer centers. MECCC, with its 

 Research Program, is few institutions in the country specializing in AML and MDS. 

In 2018, Dr. Shastri and colleagues found that relapsed AML and MDS patients with the worst prognosis have leukemic stem cells that express excessive levels of the protein STAT3. In subsequent studies, her lab found that STAT3 does several things to help MDS and AML cancer cells survive; most importantly, STAT3 prevents cancer cells from undergoing apoptosis, known as programmed cell death—the goal of a major AML/MDS drug called venetoclax. Dr. Shastri hypothesized that blunting the impact of STAT3 could make venetoclax more effective and lead to better outcomes for patients.

Dr. Shastri then looked for compounds that specifically targeted STAT3 and identified the novel targeted drug danvatirsen: a STAT3 inhibitor developed by Flamingo Therapeutics and Ionis Pharmaceuticals that is now being developed as a cancer treatment in early-phase clinical trials. After conducting preclinical tests indicating that danvatirsen shows promise against AML/MDS, Dr. Shastri is investigating the drug in a phase 1 clinical trial.

The trial is slated to begin this month and will enroll patients with therapy-resistant MDS and AML at MECCC and MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. “Since this is a phase 1 trial, our first priority is to determine the safety of danvatirsen when used alone and in combination with venetoclax, as well as the optimal dosages for the two drugs,” Dr. Shastri said. “We will investigate the effect of danvatirsen, alone and in combination with venetoclax, on leukemic stem cells.”

If the researchers find evidence that the experimental treatment has clinical activity, they will expand the study to a phase 2 trial to further assess the treatment’s effectiveness. The co-principal investigator of the clinical trial is Naval Daver, M.D., at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. MECCC co-investigators on this grant are Marina Konopleva, M.D., and Ulrich Steidl, M.D., Ph.D.

The grant is titled “A phase 1 study investigating the safety & efficacy of danvatirsen as monotherapy followed by combination with venetoclax in patients with relapsed/refractory MDS & AML” (R01FD007836).

Articles

Leading researchers in rare blood cancers to investigate new therapeutic strategy that targets leukemic stem cells.


Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center Awarded FDA Grant for Clinical Trial on Experimental AML/MDS Treatment

BRONX, NY - September 28, 2023 - Yesterday, Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC) opened a new state-of-the-art breast center at the Hutchinson Metro Center at 1250 Waters Place. The center is home to some of the nation’s top breast cancer physicians, surgeons and researchers. It offers screening studies, advanced imaging, minimally invasive surgery, plastic & reconstructive surgery, a high-risk breast cancer prevention and lymphedema prevention program, as well as genetic counseling under one roof. Services like medical & radiation oncology, nutrition, and access to MECCC’s Bronx Oncology Living Daily (BOLD) wellness and support program, are also available. The goal of the breast center is to provide every patient with an unparalleled level of evaluation and care.

“Every square foot of the new space, every procedure being performed, and every clinician there has a single purpose: advancing our ability to deliver the most personalized care to our patients,” said Sheldon M. Feldman, M.D., chief, Breast Surgery & Surgical Oncology and director, MECCC Breast Cancer Services. “By tailoring every element of care to our patients’ needs, we will increase screenings and the number of minimally invasive treatment options for our Bronx community and beyond. Our goal is to reduce the incidence of late-stage cancers in New York.”

Nationwide, it takes over a month to schedule the necessary procedures to confirm the results of an abnormal breast exam – and on average, it takes another 60 days before the initiation of cancer treatment.

At MECCC’s new breast center, when someone has a breast lump, abnormal mammogram or ultrasound result, surgeons and radiologists will immediately have a consultation with patients, and together, determine next steps in “real-time.” This new patient-centered approach to care reduces the need for women having to come back for potentially repetitive appointments or procedures. For women with breast cancer, this new care delivery model ensures a more timely diagnosis and shortened time to begin treatment.

The new breast center is outfitted with the latest technology from GE HealthCare including 3D tomosynthesis mammography. The system features advanced applications such as contrast enhanced mammography, which uses low dose X-rays and iodinated contrast dye to highlight areas of unusual blood flow. This enhanced 

 helps clinicians see lesions that might otherwise go undetected.

“For many women, scheduling a breast exam means having to take off work, and then coming to an appointment that they feel anxious about,” said Laura J. Hodges, M.D., director, Breast Imaging & Interventions at MECCC and assistant professor of Radiology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine. “Having the latest breast care technologies like the Senographe Pristina 3D mammography system from GE HealthCare, which gives women a handheld remote, allowing them to determine breast compression levels during their mammograms, are just some of the many elements at our new breast center that enables women to regain a sense of control.”

The new breast center reflects MECCC’s commitment to excellence in patient care. It also caps a year where its clinician-researchers led the field in addressing unmet patient needs.

 to test whether scalp cooling can protect Black and Latina women with textured hair types from hair loss due to chemotherapy; they 

 a simple, low-cost antibacterial treatment that can prevent a severe skin problem caused by radiation therapy; and was recognized “as a 

 in preventing lymphedema,” a painful yet common side effect of breast cancer. 

MECCC has 320 active clinical trials, including research on breast conservation techniques where doctors deliver radiation at the same time as surgery while a patient is still under anesthesia. Montefiore has treated more than 200 patients with this form of therapy.

“This beautiful new center exemplifies the commitment of our breast team in advancing patient care,” said Susan Green-Lorenzen, R.N. M.S.N., system senior vice president of operations at Montefiore. “Screening is the best form of early diagnosis, and it is done most effectively when barriers to access are tackled head-on. From parking to how new technology is embedded during appointments, to the linkages among our clinical team members and our remarkable BOLD support program, we are truly advancing what it means to address the comprehensive needs of our community.”

For more information about the breast center and MECCC’s research and patient care, including its High-Risk Prevention and Surveillance program, visit cancer.montefioreeinstein.org.


Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center opened a new state-of-the-art breast center at the Hutchinson Metro Center at 1250 Waters Place. 

Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center Unveils New Destination for Breast Care

 (MECCC) has been awarded comprehensive designation by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health, the ultimate standard achieved by only 55 other NCI cancer centers in the U.S. Through NCI’s peer-review process, MECCC was nationally recognized for its paradigm-shifting, practice-changing, policy-impacting cancer-focused science. As a result, MECCC was awarded a five-year, $20 million Cancer Center Support Grant to advance the translation of novel cancer research into new treatments, new screening and diagnostic tools, and equitable access to care throughout the Bronx, Westchester county, and the lower Hudson Valley.

“We are deeply honored to be recognized for the unique and special contributions of our cancer center in the NCI’s portfolio of comprehensive cancer centers,” said 

, director of MECCC, Carol and Roger Einiger Professor of Cancer Medicine and professor of oncology, medicine, and molecular pharmacology at 

, and vice-president of cancer medicine at Montefiore Medicine. “This NCI designation is a testament to the remarkable strength of our exceptional science integrated with extraordinary multidisciplinary patient care.”

“We are proud of the entire team at the cancer center,” said 

, president and CEO of Montefiore Medicine, the umbrella organization for 

. “Our ongoing strategic investments and transformative institutional support ensures that Montefiore Einstein will continue to redefine medical excellence and be at the forefront of new discoveries and treatments that serve our patients with cancer and our community as a whole.”

A National Model for Addressing Health Equity

From genetic variants to systemic inequities and social determinants of health, MECCC investigators strive to uncover the drivers of cancer disparities and develop interventions that result in better outcomes.

“The progress made by the cancer center over the past several years has earned it comprehensive status,” said Henry Ciolino, Ph.D., director of the Office of Cancer Centers at the NCI. “And they did this serving one of the most diverse and medically challenged catchment areas of any NCI-designated cancer center.”

MECCC has built strong partnerships with community-based organizations throughout the Bronx, forging ties that bolster promotion of cancer screenings and other preventive measures specific to our borough’s needs and concerns. MECCC reviews and analyzes social determinants of health to enhance patient care and provide comprehensive support services, as well as inform health outcomes and health services research.

“We are a national model for community outreach, engagement, and cancer health equity,” said Dr. Chu. “As the diversity of our country’s population continues to grow, our understanding of cancer health disparities deepens and our principles of diversity, equity, and inclusivity are actively implemented. It is absolutely critical that we do everything within our power to ensure that all patients receive the highest quality care they need and deserve.”

MECCC is dedicated to educating and training the next generation of cancer investigators and physician-scientists through pathway programs that begin as early as high school. Initiatives such as 

, a summer afterschool program for Bronx high school students who learn in the labs of MECCC members, and the 

, an 18-month biomedical research training program for M.S. candidates at the City University of New York’s Lehman College, offer unique opportunities for individuals from historically underrepresented groups in medicine and science.

A History of Exceptional Science and Patient Care

MECCC is the fourth oldest NCI-designated cancer center, having been originally designated by the NCI in 1972. For over 50 years, MECCC has been at the forefront of innovative cancer treatments. It was among the first to integrate academic research and clinical care, leveraging Albert Einstein College of Medicine expertise in cancer science and therapeutics as well as Montefiore Health System’s experience in providing comprehensive, compassionate care for more than 200 types of cancer.

MECCC is home to five members of the National Academy of Sciences and conducts novel research in the areas of Tumor Microenvironment and Metastasis, Stem Cell and Cancer Biology, Cancer Therapeutics, and Cancer Epidemiology, Prevention and Control. More than 1,000 patients each year enroll in the cancer center’s 300 active clinical trials, many of which provide access to cutting-edge treatments unavailable elsewhere.

The newly renamed Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center has been awarded comprehensive designation by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health, the ultimate standard achieved by only 55 other NCI cancer centers in the U.S. 

Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center Awarded Comprehensive Designation from the National Cancer Institute

The American Cancer Society (ACS) has awarded Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center (MECC) more than $2.1 million to support cancer research and reduce individual and systematic barriers that prevent people from accessing cancer care.

Approximately 40% of people born in the United States will receive a cancer diagnosis. In the Bronx—the nation's poorest urban county where 29.7% of residents live below the poverty line—MECC sees more than 3,500 people with new cancer diagnoses each year. Bronx residents are more likely to be diagnosed at later stages of disease, compared to the national average. This disparity is consistent with other historically marginalized communities and is an area of active research at the cancer center.

The largest ACS grants—for $792,000 and $660,000—support research by Haiying Cheng, M.D., Ph.D., and Kira Gritsman, M.D., Ph.D., respectively. Dr. Cheng, a member of MECC and associate professor of oncology and of medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, focuses on people with lung cancer, the majority of whom develop metastatic disease. She found that a gene called RICTOR is amplified in a group of lung cancer patients who face a high risk that their lung tumors will spread to the brain. With her ACS grant, Dr. Cheng hopes to determine if targeting RICTOR can treat lung cancer metastases or even prevent them from forming.

In studies of blood cancers called myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), Dr. Gritsman, co-leader of MECC's stem cell and cancer biology research program and professor of oncology, of medicine, and of cell biology at Einstein, found that crizotinib—a drug approved for treating lung cancer—proved effective in a people with a type of MPN. The ACS support assists her lab in determining if crizotinib prevents out-of-control blood-cell division in mouse models of MPN, with the goal of moving the drug swiftly into clinical trials. In addition, she will investigate a protein inhibited by crizotinib, RON kinase, as a new target for MPN.

The ACS grants will also enable MECC to add navigators to streamline appointments, such as imaging studies, lab assessments and treatments, for individuals with locally advanced, non-metastatic cancer who would benefit from neoadjuvant therapy (NAT), which is intended to shrink a tumor prior to surgery. This new initiative is particularly important in the Bronx, where only 60% of MECC's patients complete all intended NAT visits and up to 40% miss at least one due to treatment toxicity or socioeconomic factors.

"We pride ourselves on delivering the most research-driven cancer care, but if we don't fully understand and address the social factors that interfere with scheduling and attending appointments, we're never going to reach our ultimate goal – healing people so they can return to living their lives," said Edward Chu, M.D., M.M.S., director of the MECC; vice president for cancer medicine at Montefiore Health System; and the Carol and Roger Einiger Professor of Cancer Medicine and professor of medicine, of oncology, and of molecular pharmacology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. "By deepening our partnership with the ACS, we're advancing our ability to recognize infrastructural biases, identify new treatments relevant to our community and provide the very best support to our patients and their families."

The ACS funding is also helping MECC tackle transportation barriers, which are 

 with no-show visits, and is adding more free cancer screenings and continuing education courses for doctors and nurses aimed at improving racial equity.

"As a nationwide leader in cancer education and advocacy, we are proud to partner with Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center to better understand the biology of cancer and how socioeconomic factors impact care access and cancer outcomes," said Connie Bordenga, MD, MS, Cancer Support Strategic Partnerships Manager at the American Cancer Society. "Our work in tackling inequities is only the beginning of a larger shift in how we as a country will redefine the future of cancer care."

Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center (MECC) is a national leader in cancer research and care located in the ethnically diverse and economically disadvantaged borough of the Bronx, N.Y. MECC combines the exceptional science of Albert Einstein College of Medicine with the multidisciplinary and team-based approach to cancer care of Montefiore Health System. Founded in 1971 and a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Cancer Center since 1972, MECC is redefining excellence in cancer research, clinical care, education and training, and community outreach and engagement. Its mission is to reduce the burden of cancer for all, especially people from historically marginalized communities.

The American Cancer Society is on a mission to free the world from cancer. We invest in lifesaving research, provide 24/7 information and support, and work to ensure that individuals in every community have access to cancer prevention, detection, and treatment. For more information, visit cancer.org.

The American Cancer Society has awarded Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center more than $2.1 million to support cancer research and reduce individual and systematic barriers that prevent people from accessing cancer care.


The American Cancer Society Awards $2.1 Million to Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center to Support Cancer Research and Tackle Inequities

The National Cancer Institute-designated 

 (MECC) has partnered with the Price Family Foundation to fund 8 research teams developing novel cancer therapies and improving cancer outcomes for historically marginalized communities in the Bronx. The inaugural Price Family Foundation Health Equity Pilot Awards will provide $200,000 in funding over 2 years to each team and support basic science, translational, and clinical investigators focusing on cancers that are highly prevalent in the Bronx.

“Reducing cancer disparities means teasing apart and addressing the various causes of cancer—from the genetic and molecular to environmental and occupational exposures—that result in worse outcomes for Black, Brown, and other marginalized people in our country,” said 

, director of the MECC; vice president for cancer medicine at Montefiore Health System; and the Carol and Roger Einiger Professor of Cancer Medicine and professor of medicine, of oncology, and of molecular pharmacology at 

. “We are grateful to have found a partner in the Price Family Foundation, which believes, as we do, in the importance of research that promotes health equity in the Bronx, which will inform cancer care here at our cancer center and throughout the country.”

The Bronx has one of the most diverse populations in the United States. Nearly 44% of people identify as Black or African American and 56% Hispanic; more than a third of residents were born in another country. Despite growing evidence that many molecular causes of cancer and disease progression are different in Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) than in white people, BIPOCs are often excluded from clinical trials, and their genetic makeup is ignored in preclinical studies testing possible treatments.

“The Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center is committed to leading the way in identifying new molecular alterations, targets, and signaling pathways that can be the focus for new drugs, immunotherapies, and novel treatments among people of color,” Dr Chu added, noting that the research will also help inform new strategies for early detection, screening, and prevention for all patients.

The winning proposals include a range of investigations for a variety of cancers—including lung, head and neck, prostate, gynecologic, and breast—that disproportionately affect Black, Asian, Hispanic, and other non-white populations. The pilot studies will help generate data that the investigators can use to apply for federal funding to further their research.

The National Cancer Institute-designated Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center has partnered with the Price Family Foundation to fund 8 research teams developing novel cancer therapies and improving cancer outcomes for historically marginalized communities in the Bronx. 

Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center Researchers Receive Price Family Foundation Health Equity Research Awards

CAR-T therapy, a form of immunotherapy that revs up T-cells to recognize and destroy cancer cells, has revolutionized the treatment of blood cancers, including certain leukemias, lymphomas, and most recently, multiple myeloma. However, Black and Hispanic people were largely absent from the major clinical trials that led to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of CAR-T cell therapies. 

 investigators at the National Cancer Institute-designated 

 report that Black and Hispanic patients had outcomes and side effects following CAR-T treatment that were comparable to their white and Asian counterparts. 

“Representation in cancer clinical trials is vital to ensuring that treatments are safe and effective for everyone,” said 

, co-corresponding author of the paper, a medical oncologist at Montefiore Health System, assistant professor of 

, and member of the MECC Cancer Therapeutics Program. “We couldn’t have been happier to learn that our patients who identify as Black and Hispanic have the same benefits from CAR-T therapy as white patients. We can only begin to say that a cancer treatment is transformational when these therapies benefit everyone who comes to us for care.”

People who identify as Black and Hispanic often have tumor biology, immune system biology, and side effects that are distinct from white people. However, very few minorities were enrolled in the major trials that led the FDA to approve CAR-T cell therapy.

 study evaluated outcomes for 46 participants treated at Montefiore between 2015 and 2021. Seventeen of the participants were Hispanic, 9 were African American, 15 were white, and 5 were Asian. 

Among Black and Hispanic patients, 58% achieved a complete response after treatment and 19% achieved a partial response. For white and Asian patients, 70% achieved a complete response and 20% had a partial response, indicating no statistical differences among racial and ethnic backgrounds. Results were similar with respect to major side effects experienced: Approximately 95% of participants in each group had mild to moderate cytokine release syndrome, a common side effect to immunotherapy in which people experience fever and other flu-like symptoms.

“Our findings demonstrate that we are able to effectively treat people from historically marginalized groups using CAR-T; our hope is that more people from a diverse range of racial and ethnic backgrounds will be included in clinical trials,” said co-author 

, associate director of translational science at MECC, director of the division of hemato-oncology at Montefiore and Einstein, and professor of medicine and of 

, associate professor of medicine at Einstein and director of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy and clinical program director, Hematologic Malignancies at Montefiore, is also co-corresponding author on the study.

At Montefiore, approximately 80% of clinical trial participants are minorities, 

“As an academic medical center, it is not enough to make novel therapies like CAR-T available,” said Susan Green-Lorenzen, RN MSN, system senior vice president of operations at Montefiore and study co-author. “We need to be at the forefront of ensuring that these treatments are effective for the communities we serve – this research reflects this commitment.”

The study is titled “Efficacy and safety of CAR-T cell therapy in minorities.” In addition to Drs. Goldfinger, Verma, and Braunschweig and Ms. Green-Lorenzen, other Einstein and Montefiore authors are Astha Thakkar, MD, Michelly Abreu, NP, Kith Pradhan, PhD, R. Alejandro Sica, MD, Aditi Shastri, MD, Noah Kornblum, MD, Nishi Shah, MD, MPH, Ioannis Mantzaris, MD, MS, Kira Gritsman, MD, PhD, Eric Feldman, MD, and Richard Elkind, PA-C.

Investigators at the Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center report that Black and Hispanic patients had outcomes and side effects following CAR-T treatment that were comparable to their white and Asian counterparts, according to findings from a study published in Bone Marrow Transplantation.

Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center Finds CAR T-Cell Therapy Effective in Black and Hispanic Patients

 (AECC) has announced the appointment of three faculty members to key leadership positions, reflecting the center’s commitment to basic science, translational, and clinical research and its core principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

“Over than past 15 months, we have built on the existing strength of our renowned research faculty and comprehensive cancer care to transform the cancer center into a truly unified clinical and research enterprise,” said 

, director of AECC, vice president for cancer medicine at 

, interim chairman of the department of oncology, and the Carol and Roger Einiger Professor of Cancer Medicine at 

. “We are confident that these new faculty appointments will help us fulfill our goal to be a national model for other NCI cancer centers that serve people of color and groups that have been historically marginalized.”

Internationally renowned blood cancer researcher 

, has been named deputy director of AECC, responsible for overseeing the full spectrum of basic cancer research. He will focus on ensuring the strategic scientific priorities of the cancer center and work with Dr. Chu in facilitating connections between clinicians and scientists across Einstein and Montefiore to address urgent questions and discover solutions that will improve the health in the Bronx community and beyond.

Dr. Steidl is co-director of AECC’s Blood Cancer Institute and has held important leadership positions in the cancer center for several years. He was co-director for the stem cells, differentiation, and cancer program from 2014 to 2021, and was named associate director for basic science in 2020. He also chairs the working group that oversees the recruitment of basic and translational researchers, more than two dozen of which joined the cancer center over the past 14 months.

Dr. Steidl is a highly respected investigator and mentor. In 2021, he received the prestigious 

 from the NCI and a seven-year, $7 million grant for his research. He is best known for his work on two related blood disorders, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). He was an early pioneer of the concept of precancerous stem cells and the analysis of human AML at the stem cell level. With colleagues, he was among the first to demonstrate that MDS arises from wayward bone-marrow stem cells, raising new hope for treatment. He also has conducted innovative preclinical work on promising therapies based on his discoveries.

Dr. Steidl is professor of cell biology and of medicine, interim director for the 

Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine

, and holds the Rose C. Falkenstein Chair in Cancer Research at Einstein.

Inaugural Associate Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

, has been appointed AECC’s first associate director for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). In his new role, Dr. Adedimeji will infuse DEI considerations into all aspects of the cancer center—from faculty recruitment and advancement and developing an inclusive environment that provides training, mentorship, and support, to ensuring that research is conducted in ways that promote health equity.

A social epidemiologist with additional training in business administration, Dr. Adedimeji’s research focuses on the social and structural factors that influence health with the goal of improving the wellbeing of historically marginalized and minoritized communities. His research interests involve the social and structural determinants of health, HIV prevention, cancer education and prevention, implementation science, and community-based health interventions. He is currently conducting 

 in Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and three other Central African nations.

Dr. Adedimeji is research associate professor, head of the division of health behavior research and implementation science, and director for DEI in the department of epidemiology and population health at Einstein.

Emphasizing Equity in Cancer Epidemiology

, has been named co-leader of AECC’s cancer epidemiology, prevention, and control research program. Along with co-leader 

, Dr. Hosgood will focus on population health research in the Bronx, improving resources that connect researchers to community partners and advocates, and addressing the barriers to health equity.

Dr. Hosgood’s research focuses on how genetics and environmental exposures interact to cause cancer. He has worked extensively on investigating the causes of 

, which is a genetically distinct disease from lung cancer caused by tobacco, as well as blood cancers, including multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He is currently 

—caused from the burning of coal or wood for heating and cooking—are associated with lung cancer mortality and result in an increased risk for other cancers.

Dr. Hosgood is associate professor of epidemiology and population health, director of global environmental health in Einstein’s 

, associate director of population and clinical sciences for Einstein’s 

The National Cancer Institute-designated Albert Einstein Cancer Center has announced the appointment of three faculty members to key leadership positions.