DEI Committee & Community Liaisons

Through the work of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee and Community Liaisons, Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center helps ensure that DEI goals are shared and applied throughout the organization and in the care we provide to our Bronx community. 

DEI Committee

Members come from Einstein academic departments, Montefiore clinical care departments, Transdisciplinary Research Programs, community stakeholder organizations in our Bronx community, and more—providing a crucial link between our researchers, investigators and faculty and the residents of our catchment area.

Committee Members:

  • Act as a link between our researchers, investigators and faculty with residents of our catchment area
  • Advise and recommend on all DEI issues
  • Assist in recruiting people from underrepresented groups (URGs) for clinical trials
  • Help in resource mobilization in support of DEI activities
  • Provide critical input to the DEI strategic plan and research activities
  • Review routine data, track progress and recommend corrective actions when necessary

DEI Community Liaisons

Community liaisons represent the voices of our community and play a critical role in drawing attention to issues that affect everything from cancer screening to access, treatment, education, and care.

Community liaisons are in regular contact with people in the community. The Cancer Center relies on them to:

  • Raise awareness of DEI issues in their respective constituencies
  • Document barriers for care equity such as problems with access to cancer care
  • Interface with members of the DEI Committee, the Community Outreach & Engagement (COE) Program, catchment area researchers, and clinical service providers.

Leadership

Maria S. Sosa, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Oncology

Rebeca San Martin, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Oncology

DEI Committee & Community Liaisons

Ilir Agalliu, M.D., Sc.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology & Population Health

Joan Chaya, MA, SHRM-SCP

Senior Director for Diversity and Inclusion

Kira Gritsman, MD, PhD

Assistant Director of Correlative Clinical Research

Lauren E. Hackett, M.P.A.

Associate Vice-President of Cancer Medicine of Montefiore Medicine

Lynne M. Holden, MD

Senior Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion

Alyson B. Moadel-Robblee, Ph.D.

Deputy Director, Community Engagement and Cancer Health Equity, Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center

Alyson Myers, MD

Professor, Department of Medicine

Katia T. Papalezova, MD

Surgical Oncologist, Department of Surgery

Yvonne Saenger, MD

Associate Professor, Hematology & Oncology, Microbiology & Immunology, and Pathology

Diane A. Safer, Ph.D.

Director, Career and Professional Development for Graduate Students & Postdocs

Aditi Shastri, MD

Assistant Director of Translational Research

Shankar Viswanathan, Dr.P.H.

Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology & Population Health

Sofia de Oliveira, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Developmental & Molecular Biology