Chinazo O. Cunningham, MDEarlier this month, Dr. Chinazo Cunningham received the Einstein Faculty Mentoring Award in recognition of her significant impact as a Clinical Science Mentor on our faculty's career development and success. This award is given each year to one clinical and one basic senior member of the Einstein and Montefiore faculty (Associate Professor or Professor) who have successfully mentored junior Einstein faculty.
Dr. Cunningham is Associate Chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine, founding Director of the General Internal Medicine Fellowship Program, and Director of Diversity Affairs within the Department of Medicine. She has spent over 15 years providing care, developing programs, and conducting research focused on marginalized populations, including drug users with or at risk for HIV infection. She has collaborated with community-based organizations to develop unique and innovative programs to deliver health care to marginalized populations. Parallel with program development, her research has focused on improving access to care, utilization of health care services, and health outcomes. Dr. Cunningham has authored over 75 peer-reviewed manuscripts and has been the principal investigator on numerous grants funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Health Services and Resources Administration (HRSA), Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and local and state Departments of Health. In addition to her own research, she has mentored over 35 individuals, ranging from undergraduate students to junior faculty. Her mentorship has resulted in several NIH-funded grants led by junior faculty. Dr. Cunningham is currently the Primary Mentor on four NIH-funded career development awards, and Mentor on another. She has served on numerous national advisory committees, guideline committees, and federal and foundation grant-review study sections.
Dr. Cunningham and Dr. Arthur Skoultchi, the Basic Science Mentor recipient, were presented with their awards Thursday, December 10, 2015 at a reception in the Lubin Dining Hall.
Dr. Cunningham recently received the Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse (AMERSA) Anderson Spickard, Jr. Excellence in Mentorship Award, and was chosen to serve on the de Blasio administration's Ad Hoc "Mayor’s Heroin and Prescription Opioid Public Awareness Task Force".
Published December 27, 2015
