In a strong push towards eliminating healthcare inequalities, four pioneering researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have been honored with the Ritu Banga Healthcare Disparities Research Awards. Backed by a generous $5 million endowment from philanthropists Ritu and Ajay Banga, the awards support bold research targeting systemic care gaps affecting underserved communities.
Each recipient will receive a $50,000 grant to develop solutions addressing the health inequities faced by historically marginalized populations. The initiative aims to reshape how healthcare systems approach equity in clinical outcomes.
Dr. Lola Brown, associate dean of research, emphasized, “These awards are helping transform the vision of equitable healthcare into real-world impact. The selected projects stand to benefit diverse populations who have long faced barriers to quality treatment.”
Spotlight on the 2025 Banga Award Recipients and Their Groundbreaking Projects
1. Dr. Nitya Gulati – Uncovering Tumor Biology in Pediatric Hodgkin Lymphoma
Dr. Gulati, an expert in pediatric hematology, is exploring how biological factors and immune profiles contribute to racial disparities in outcomes among children with Hodgkin lymphoma. Her study taps into advanced spatial molecular imaging to assess tumor microenvironments across racial groups.
Despite an overall high survival rate, Black and Hispanic children face higher relapse and mortality rates compared to their non-Hispanic white peers. By analyzing tumors from a diverse biobank, Dr. Gulati hopes to guide the development of personalized treatment strategies that narrow this survival gap.
2. Dr. Jialin Mao – Breaking Barriers to Cancer Surgery in High-Poverty Areas
Focusing on gastrointestinal cancers, Dr. Mao is addressing why patients from high-poverty neighborhoods in NYC experience poorer outcomes. Her qualitative study will gather insights from both patients and providers to examine the five core access dimensions: affordability, availability, acceptability, approachability, and appropriateness.
Her findings aim to influence local health policies and systems to improve surgical cancer care for the most vulnerable populations. “This award empowers our mission to uplift disadvantaged communities and ensure equitable access to life-saving care,” Dr. Mao noted.
3. Dr. Yiwey Shieh – Predicting Prognosis in Non-Smoking Lung Cancer Patients
Dr. Shieh is tackling an emerging crisis—lung cancer in never-smokers, which disproportionately impacts women and individuals of East Asian and Hispanic descent. Through a data-driven approach, his team is analyzing patient data from the MCC-MELD database to uncover how tumor mutations and environmental factors affect prognosis.
The research will also explore how area-level social determinants, like pollution and healthcare accessibility, influence survival rates. The goal is to build a predictive model for recurrence, helping clinicians better monitor and treat at-risk patients.
4. Dr. Alpana Shukla – Culturally Tailored Nutrition Strategy for Diabetes Prevention
Targeting postpartum Indian women with prior gestational diabetes, Dr. Shukla is implementing a low-cost, dietary intervention rooted in food sequencing—consuming vegetables and proteins before carbs to control glucose spikes.
Unlike in Western countries where weight loss is a primary diabetes prevention method, many Indian individuals with diabetes are not overweight, necessitating alternative strategies. The project, based in Pune’s urban slums, is designed to be scalable and culturally sensitive, making it an ideal candidate for global application.
Dr. Shukla collaborates with NIH-supported researchers to validate the effectiveness of this food-order intervention in real-world, high-risk environments.
Empowering Inclusive Innovation Through Research
The Ritu Banga Healthcare Disparities Research Awards stand as a beacon for inclusive medical advancement, spotlighting how targeted funding can drive solutions for underserved groups. By bridging gaps in cancer, chronic disease, and access to care, these initiatives reflect a broader commitment to equity-driven healthcare transformation.
As disparities continue to challenge global health systems, initiatives like this fuel evidence-based, culturally competent care models that benefit diverse patient populations and improve outcomes across communities.