Otis Brawley

Otis Brawley is one of the most influential voices on cancer health disparities in the United States, documenting how racial and socioeconomic factors create profound inequities in cancer incidence, treatment access, and survival outcomes that account for tens of thousands of excess cancer deaths annually among disadvantaged populations. His research at Johns Hopkins has demonstrated that equal access to quality cancer care can eliminate most racial disparities in cancer outcomes, proving that biological race is far less important than social determinants of health. His advocacy and scholarship have shaped national cancer disparities research and policy for decades.