(New York, May 22, 2025) – In a groundbreaking move to address persistent healthcare inequities, four investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine have been honored with the prestigious Ritu Banga Healthcare Disparities Research Awards. These awards, supported through an endowed $5 million gift by Weill Cornell Medicine Board of Fellows member Ritu Banga and her husband Ajay Banga, each provide $50,000 in funding directed toward research initiatives that seek to bridge the gaps in clinical care experienced by historically underserved populations. The recipients’ projects promise to advance personalized medicine, improve cancer outcomes, and develop culturally tailored interventions in some of the most vulnerable communities worldwide.
Dr. Nitya Gulati, John D. and Lili R. Bussel Assistant Professor in Pediatric Hematology and a member of the Meyer Cancer Center, is spearheading innovative research into biological factors driving racial and ethnic disparities in pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma outcomes. Despite the fact that the five-year survival rate for children with this malignancy approaches 90%, stark differences persist between Black and Hispanic children versus their non-Hispanic white counterparts. Dr. Gulati’s work uniquely focuses on the tumor microenvironment (TME), a sophisticated ecosystem of stromal and immune cells that influences cancer progression and response to treatment. Leveraging state-of-the-art spatial molecular imaging techniques alongside analyses incorporating self-identified race, ethnicity, and genetic ancestry, her research aims to elucidate how variations within the TME contribute to disparate clinical outcomes, ultimately guiding the development of novel, personalized therapeutic strategies that accommodate biological diversity.
Addressing disparities from a health systems perspective, Dr. Jialin Mao, assistant professor of population health sciences at Weill Cornell Medicine, investigates the barriers impeding access to high-quality surgical care for gastrointestinal cancer patients residing in New York City’s high-poverty areas (HPAs). Her research is rooted in the observation that individuals living where over 20% of residents fall below the federal poverty line experience up to 30% higher cancer mortality rates than those in more affluent neighborhoods. Employing a qualitative research design with in-depth patient and provider interviews, Dr. Mao uses the five dimensions of access—approachability, acceptability, availability and accommodation, affordability, and appropriateness—to unravel complex, multi-level obstacles hindering optimal care delivery. These insights stand to inform pragmatic policy reforms and health system redesigns targeting equitable cancer care access, with broader implications for health equity nationwide.
The exploration of lung cancer prognostic determinants in never-smokers is the focus of Dr. Yiwey Shieh, assistant professor of population health sciences and a Meyer Cancer Center member. Recognizing that lung cancer in never-smokers disproportionately impacts women and individuals of East Asian and Hispanic descent, Dr. Shieh’s research delves into the molecular and environmental underpinnings of this disease. By analyzing a robust dataset of over 9,000 patients from the Meyer Cancer Center Molecularly Enhanced Lung Cancer Database (MCC-MELD), her team integrates detailed tumor mutation profiles, smoking histories, and environmental exposures, including pollution and healthcare accessibility metrics. The resulting computational models aim to predict patterns of cancer recurrence and metastasis, enhancing clinical surveillance protocols and informing personalized treatment regimens that account for both biological and social determinants of health.
Not confined to oncology, the awards also recognize Dr. Alpana Shukla’s transformative work on diabetes prevention among postpartum Indian women with previous gestational diabetes—a high-risk group for developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) within one year after childbirth. Dr. Shukla’s approach diverges from conventional strategies centered on weight loss; this is particularly important in India, where 60% of people with T2D are not overweight. Her intervention leverages behavioral changes in food consumption order—specifically promoting intake of fibrous vegetables and proteins before carbohydrates—to modulate postprandial glucose spikes and reduce glycemic variability. This dietary modification enhances endogenous secretion of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), a key incretin hormone that improves insulin sensitivity and alleviates pancreatic β-cell stress. Dr. Shukla’s forthcoming feasibility study, conducted in collaboration with colleagues at Weill Cornell Medicine and targeting urban slum communities in Pune, India, represents a culturally tailored, scalable intervention with significant promise for global diabetes prevention.
These four research projects encapsulate a multi-faceted approach to dismantling entrenched health disparities, combining cutting-edge molecular science, population health insights, and community-informed interventions. The Meyer Cancer Center’s supplemental funding to support the cancer-focused awards exemplifies the integration of research and clinical practice aimed at equitable healthcare delivery for all patients regardless of racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic background.
Recognition from Weill Cornell Medicine’s Associate Dean of Research, Dr. Lola Brown, emphasized the critical nature of the awards. "It is an honor to help bring to life the Bangas’ vision of a health care system where everyone can experience high-quality care,” she noted. “These awardees are making important contributions that will improve the health of all populations." Dr. Julie Boyer, Executive Director of Administration and Strategy at the Meyer Cancer Center, also commended the awards’ alignment with the center’s mission to expand research-driven clinical care.
Collectively, the awardees’ investigations underscore the imperative to reconcile biological heterogeneity with social determinants of health to truly advance personalized and equitable medicine. From elucidating the cellular intricacies of pediatric lymphomas to addressing socioeconomic barriers in urban cancer care, developing predictive models for lung cancer prognosis, and tailoring culturally resonant diabetes prevention strategies, these projects chart a forward-looking path in the fight against health inequalities.
By integrating advanced molecular technologies, such as spatial molecular imaging and comprehensive genomic databases, with community-engaged qualitative assessments and population health frameworks, the researchers exemplify the interdisciplinary collaboration vital to solving these complex challenges. Their efforts not only seek to close care gaps but also to establish replicable models and evidence-based policies that can be deployed globally.
This esteemed recognition and associated funding not only validate each investigator’s dedication to health equity but also amplify their capacity to generate impactful scientific knowledge that transcends traditional research boundaries. Anticipated outcomes from these projects will inform clinical guidelines, shape health delivery systems, and promote innovations in personalized treatment approaches.
As these researchers embark on their projects, the broader academic and clinical communities await insights that promise to reshape understanding and management of cancer disparities, diabetes prevention, and health service accessibility. The Ritu Banga Healthcare Disparities Research Awards thus stand as a beacon for transformative change toward an inclusive and just healthcare future.
Subject of Research: Health disparities in cancer and diabetes care, focusing on molecular, environmental, and socioeconomic determinants affecting clinical outcomes.
Article Title: Weill Cornell Medicine Investigators Illuminate Pathways to Health Equity with Ritu Banga Healthcare Disparities Research Awards
News Publication Date: May 22, 2025
Web References:
- Dr. Nitya Gulati’s profile: https://vivo.weill.cornell.edu/display/cwid-nig9049
- Dr. Jialin Mao’s profile: https://vivo.weill.cornell.edu/display/cwid-jim2012
- Dr. Yiwey Shieh’s profile: https://vivo.weill.cornell.edu/display/cwid-yis4001
- Dr. Alpana Shukla’s profile: https://vivo.weill.cornell.edu/display/cwid-aps2004
- Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center: https://meyercancer.weill.cornell.edu/
Image Credits: Weill Cornell Medicine
Keywords: Health and medicine, Cancer, Lymphoma, Lung cancer, Diabetes
