Mount Sinai Receives $4 Million Grant From American Cancer Society to Launch Cancer Health Research Center
The American Cancer Society (ACS) has awarded The Tisch Cancer Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai a $4.08 million grant to establish the Cancer Health Research Center at Mount Sinai, a new initiative dedicated to reducing cancer-related health inequities across New York City.
The Center aims to become a leading model for community-driven research that addresses disparities across the cancer care continuum, from prevention to end-of-life support. The primary goal of the Center is to conduct research focused on community-engaged navigation to address multi-level social determinants of health.
The center will collaborate closely with its community advisory board and its expanding network of trained Community Scientists to ensure that every research initiative is shaped by the lived experiences and needs of local residents.
“We would like to thank the American Cancer Society for this grant, which allows us to conduct community-engaged research that addresses the social determinants of health and delivers solutions that reflect the priorities of the communities we serve,” said Melissa Mazor, PhD, MS, RN, Co-Associate Director for Community Outreach and Engagement at The Tisch Cancer Institute.
“It was an honor to shape the vision for the Cancer Health Research Center at Mount Sinai,” said Cardinale B. Smith, MD, PhD, Principal Investigator of the initiative and current Chief Medical Officer, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). “Although I remain at MSK, I am proud to continue collaborating with Dr. Mazor, who is taking a leadership role as the site lead. Her deep commitment to community engagement and health equity ensures that the Center’s mission will thrive and make a lasting impact.”
Among the goals of the Center will be to develop and implement innovative models of cancer care delivery that are community-delivered, culturally and linguistically concordant, and designed to address structural barriers to care. The Center will identify, develop, and propel new and/or established postdoctoral and faculty investigators committed to cancer health research. It will also expand and empower community scientists to translate research into actionable outcomes that reduce disparities and improve cancer care for all New Yorkers.
“This grant from the American Cancer Society is a powerful endorsement of the work we’re doing at Mount Sinai to confront cancer disparities head-on,” said Ramon Parsons, MD, PhD, Director of The Tisch Cancer Institute. “The Cancer Health Research Center will not only generate groundbreaking research; it will help reimagine how cancer care is delivered in communities that have long been underserved. We’re proud to lead this national effort to create more just, equitable outcomes for every patient, everywhere.”
The Center will begin work immediately, with the launch of three integrated research projects led by Jamilia Sly, PhD, Deborah Doroshow, MD, PhD, and Chris Woodrell, MD, MHS, with its full program expected to roll out over the next several months.
About the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is internationally renowned for its outstanding research, educational, and clinical care programs. It is the sole academic partner for the seven member hospitals* of the Mount Sinai Health System, one of the largest academic health systems in the United States, providing care to New York City’s large and diverse patient population.
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai offers highly competitive MD, PhD, MD-PhD, and master’s degree programs, with enrollment of more than 1,200 students. It has the largest graduate medical education program in the country, with more than 2,600 clinical residents and fellows training throughout the Health System. Its Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences offers 13 degree-granting programs, conducts innovative basic and translational research, and trains more than 560 postdoctoral research fellows.
Ranked 11th nationwide in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is among the 99th percentile in research dollars per investigator according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. More than 4,500 scientists, educators, and clinicians work within and across dozens of academic departments and multidisciplinary institutes with an emphasis on translational research and therapeutics. Through Mount Sinai Innovation Partners (MSIP), the Health System facilitates the real-world application and commercialization of medical breakthroughs made at Mount Sinai.
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* Mount Sinai Health System member hospitals: The Mount Sinai Hospital; Mount Sinai Brooklyn; Mount Sinai Morningside; Mount Sinai Queens; Mount Sinai South Nassau; Mount Sinai West; and New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai.
About the Mount Sinai Health System
Mount Sinai Health System is one of the largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area, with 48,000 employees working across seven hospitals, more than 400 outpatient practices, more than 600 research and clinical labs, a school of nursing, and a leading school of medicine and graduate education. Mount Sinai advances health for all people, everywhere, by taking on the most complex health care challenges of our time—discovering and applying new scientific learning and knowledge; developing safer, more effective treatments; educating the next generation of medical leaders and innovators; and supporting local communities by delivering high-quality care to all who need it.
Through the integration of its hospitals, labs, and schools, Mount Sinai offers comprehensive health care solutions from birth through geriatrics, leveraging innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and informatics while keeping patients’ medical and emotional needs at the center of all treatment. The Health System includes approximately 9,000 primary and specialty care physicians and 10 free-standing joint-venture centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida. Hospitals within the System are consistently ranked by Newsweek’s® “The World’s Best Smart Hospitals, Best in State Hospitals, World Best Hospitals and Best Specialty Hospitals” and by U.S. News & World Report's® “Best Hospitals” and “Best Children’s Hospitals.” The Mount Sinai Hospital is on the U.S. News & World Report® “Best Hospitals” Honor Roll for 2025-2026.
For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.
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