Dr. Rachel Shelton Appointed Associate Director of Community Engagement Core Resource and Director of Implementation Science Initiatives

The Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research announces Rachel Shelton, ScD, MPH, is Associate Director of the Community Engagement Core Resource (CECR). Dr. Shelton is an Assistant Professor of Sociomedical Sciences at the Mailman School of Public Health, with expertise in understanding and addressing cancer-related health disparities. Dr. Shelton has training in social epidemiology, community-based participatory research, and intervention research. In addition, she has expertise and formal training in implementation science, where she focuses her work on the sustainability and adaptation of community-based and health systems interventions. Dr. Shelton has taught a course on Dissemination and Implementation Science at Columbia School of Public Health for the past 6 years, and has spoken nationally and internationally on the topic. She has over 12 years of experience conducting qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods community-based research in the area of cancer health disparities, with nearly 50 peer-reviewed publications. Her research has focused on social and contextual factors that influence disparities in cancer and obesity prevention among low-income African American and Hispanic populations, including social networks, social support, and experiences of discrimination and mistrust.

Dr. Shelton will also lead the Irving Institute’s initiative on Implementation Science. This program aims to empower faculty across the Columbia University campus by offering training, support, and guidance for innovations in implementation science. Additional components on implementation science will also be added to our Training and Education (TRANSFORM) programs that will be integral to the career development and training in efficient, multidisciplinary, translational research and team science.