Otis Webb Brawley

Otis Webb Brawley, MD is one of America's foremost authorities on cancer health disparities and a preeminent voice for equitable cancer care both domestically and globally. Serving as Chief Medical and Scientific Officer of the American Cancer Society from 2007 to 2018, he elevated cancer health disparities to a central priority of the nation's largest voluntary health organization, directing research programs documenting how race, poverty, and geography drive differential cancer incidence and mortality. His scientific work has established that the excess cancer mortality in Black Americans is largely attributable to unequal access to care rather than inherent biological differences, a paradigm-shifting insight that has shaped NIH funding priorities, legislative advocacy, and clinical guidelines. At Johns Hopkins, he continues to investigate the biological, behavioral, and health-system determinants of racial cancer disparities, with particular focus on prostate, breast, colorectal, and lung cancer. Internationally, Dr. Brawley advises WHO and UICC on global cancer burden reduction strategies applicable to both high-income and low-income settings, emphasizing that effective prevention, early detection, and treatment access can dramatically reduce cancer mortality worldwide. He is the author of "How We Do Harm," a widely read account of failures in the US cancer care system, and a frequently cited commentator in national media. His h-index reflects decades of impactful epidemiological and clinical research on cancer equity.