Our Team

Director

Marcella Nunez-Smith, MD, MHS, is Director of the Center for Community Engagement and Health Equity. Dr. Nunez-Smith’s accomplished leadership since joining the faculty at Yale in 2006, innovative ideas for expanding our positive impact in our communities, and passionate and determined values will propel our efforts to improve our understanding of and reduce health disparities relevant to cancer care.

Co-Director

Sakinah Carter Suttiratana PhD, MPH, MBA, is a Sociologist of Health and Illness whose interests include various sociocultural influences on health. She currently serves as Coordinator for the Yale Cancer Disparities Firewall Project, a partnership between the Yale School of Public Health and the Yale Cancer Center. The project aims to improve prevention and screening behaviors among New Haven residents while building health promotion infrastructure to benefit local cancer prevention and control. Other research includes a study of diet and physical activity habit formation among transnational, immigrants from the Caribbean and using mixed methods to improve care and devices for youth with Type 1 diabetes mellitus and their families.

Deputy Director

Jessica Lewis, PhD, LMFT, Associate Research Scientist in Epidemiology, has directed research projects on health behaviors, health equity, and women’s health at Yale for more than 25 years. Her research investigates the interplay of complex biomedical, behavioral, social, and structural factors that influence individual and family health. She uses this lens to examine challenges faced by those often marginalized by the health care system and by society.

CEHE Faculty

Jacquelyne Gaddy, MD, MSc is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine (Medical Oncology) and cares for patients as part of the Center for Gastrointestinal Cancers at Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center. She is also Deputy Director of the Diversity Enhancement Program in Oncology and a member of The Center for Community Engagement and Health Equity (CEHE) within Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center. Dr. Gaddy has dedicated her entire postgraduate career to focusing on improving diversity, equity, and inclusion. She is committed to improving cancer care delivery for Black patients while also addressing the needs of Black, Indigenous, People of color (BIPOC) cancer care providers through an educational and investigational approach.

Andrea Silber, MD, Professor of Clinical Medicine, is a leader in clinical trial engagement among underserved and under-represented minorities, personal relationship building, and designing patient navigator programs. Dr. Silber works to expand clinical trial participation across the region.

Daniel Sarpong, PhD , is a Senior Research Scientist in the Department of General Internal Medicine and Executive Director of the Office of Health Equity Research (OHER). Dr. Sarpong’s research focuses on translational research exploring innovative approaches to mitigating biological and social determinants of health disparities in primarily chronic diseases.

Karen Wang, MD, MHS, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Biostatistics, works at the intersection of health equity, informatics, and data justice with a focus in optimizing health and health-related information, data, and technology for marginalized communities.

Melissa Lang, DrPH, MPH, MPA, MA, is President & CEO of The Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut (AOASCC). Her extensive background includes advocacy, program development, strategic planning and public relations. Melissa has over 20 years of senior level experience in community-based health and human services, with significant experience in the aging and disability network and a core commitment to quality of care and quality of life in long term services and support.

Staff

Program Manager

Erin Singleton, MPH, Program Manager, collaborates closely with leadership to support the development of a robust infrastructure to ensure Yale cancer science is responsive to the needs of all Connecticut residents. She has 15 years of extensive project management experience and working at the University and Smilow Cancer Hospital.

Imran Saeed, PharmD, MPH , is a postgraduate associate for CEHE. He contributes to patient-centric cancer research, focusing on community-based interventions. Imran’s expertise lies in public health initiatives, aiming to enhance community health outcomes through research-driven interventions. With a strong academic background in Pharmacy and Public Health, Imran is committed to leveraging scientific evidence for impactful health practices. His efforts emphasize addressing healthcare disparities and promoting community well-being.

Community Research Liaison

Maurice Williams, BA, MPA , Community Research Liaison, leverages his relationships with community-based organization leaders, personal contacts, and connections to local and state institutions, to support the work of Yale Cancer Center. He has extensive civic engagement and community outreach experience from his work with NAACP, Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, Community Alliance for Research and Engagement, and Yale Center for Clinical Investigation.