Physician Profile

Carolyn D. Runowicz, M.D.

Dr. Runowicz is a nationally prominent expert in gynecologic cancers and women’s health. Prior to her appointment at the Health Center, she served as professor of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and vice-chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital, both in New York City.

Dr. Runowicz is involved in many national health organizations, including the American Cancer Society, where she served as president from 2005 to 2006. She is currently chairman of the National Cancer Advisory Board and has testified at Senate hearings advocating cancer screening as a representative of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Among her many research interests, Dr. Runowicz has largely focused on ovarian, cervical, and breast cancers. She has contributed more than 100 papers to medical literature, including scientific abstracts and textbook chapters. She is widely published in scholarly journals, including the "American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology" and the "Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer."

As an advocate for women’s health, Dr. Runowicz lectures extensively on issues such as gynecologic cancers, menopause management and breast cancer. She has very candidly shared insights of her own battle with breast cancer, both in speaking appearances and in her book “To Be Alive: A Women’s Guide to a Full Life After Cancer," published in 1995.

Co-authored by Dr. Runowicz and her husband Sheldon Cherry, M.D., a New York City gynecologist, "The Menopause Book: A Guide to Women’s Health After 40" was published in 1994. She also co-authored with Jeanne Petrek, M.D., director of the Surgical Program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, “Women and Cancer: A Thorough and Compassionate Resource for Patients and Their Families" published in 1999. In 2004, Drs. Runowicz and Cherry authored "The Answer to Cancer," offering a comprehensive look at cancer prevention.

Appointments

• Director, Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center
• Northeast Utilities Chair in Experimental Oncology
• Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology

Specialty

• Gynecologic Cancers

Subspecialty

• Cancer Prevention

Certification
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Gynecologic Oncology

Education
Jefferson Medical College

Residency
Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York City, New York

Fellowship
Gynecologic Oncology, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York City, New York

Hospital Affiliation
John Dempsey Hospital

Clinical Interests
Gynecologic cancer
Menopause management
Cancer prevention

Research Interests

Clinical Research

• Gynecologic cancer
• Cancer prevention