Leading experts in cancer and women’s health join Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine


Dr. Carolyn D. Runowicz, former president of the American Cancer Society and a leader in the battle against cancers that affect women, and Dr. Sheldon H. Cherry, who has built a national reputation as a clinician in reproductive and women’s health, have joined the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine.

Runowicz is the new Associate Dean for Women’s Affairs and also will be in charge of developing a cancer center for the College of Medicine. Cherry will be a Professor in both the departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Health, Humanities, and Society, and will mentor students in the Green Family Foundation NeighborhoodHELP  program. Runowicz and Cherry have collaborated on two books, “The Menopause Book” and “The Answer to Cancer.”

Dr. Carolyn D. Runowicz

“Dr. Runowicz and Dr. Cherry are leaders in their fields and we are excited to have them join our faculty,” said Dr. John Rock, founding dean of the Wertheim College of Medicine. “Dr. Runowicz will help us build a cancer center that will incorporate a multidisciplinary, 21st century approach to cancer treatment and Dr. Cherry will play a key role in helping us train compassionate, culturally competent physicians who will make a difference in the lives of their patients.”

Before coming to FIU, Runowicz was professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and held the Northeast Utilities Chair in Experimental Oncology at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. She also served as director of the Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Program at the University of Connecticut Health Center.

Among her many leadership positions in national organizations, she was president of the American Cancer Society, the first woman president of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists and chair of the National Cancer Advisory Board. She is the first gynecologic oncologist to serve on the Board of Directors for the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the world’s largest cancer organization. She also is the author of more than 200 publications, chapters and several books for the public.

Runowicz will be partially based at Jackson North Medical Center, in addition to the Wertheim College of Medicine. Jackson North is one of the medical school’s clinical partners, where she will bring together FIU faculty who are addressing different aspects of cancer research and treatment.

Runowicz, a breast cancer survivor herself, said a survivorship component, focusing on the medical concerns that people who are successfully treated for cancer continue to face, will be an important part of developing a multidisciplinary approach to cancer.

“It’s really where medicine is heading, where we think more about diseases rather than specific organs or departments,” she said. “Addressing survivorship also is critical.
You can return to a normal life and be normal after cancer, but you have to be diligent about the issues that affect cancer survivors. As we get more cancer survivors we have more issues and it’s really becoming a separate discipline.”

In her role as Associate Dean for Women’s Health, Runowicz also will be actively involved in recruitment and retention efforts at the Wertheim College of Medicine involving female students and faculty.

Cherry was an early pioneer in the use of amniotic fluid for genetic diagnosis and fetal therapy in pregnancy. As a Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, he taught at the Mount

Dr. Sheldon H. Cherry

Sinai School of Medicine in New York. Cherry  is the author of several books for the general public on women’s health that have been published in several countries, as well as senior editor of “Complications of Pregnancy,” a classic medical textbook in its fourth edition. His enduring book, “Understanding Pregnancy and Childbirth,” has sold more than a million copies and is in its fourth edition.

Cherry also is a frequent expert guest on national television programs such as “Good Morning America” and the “Today” show, as well as other radio and television programs. 

Cherry will mentor students in the Green Family Foundation NeighborhoodHELP program. NeighborhoodHELP pairs every medical student with a medically underserved household in North Miami-Dade. Medical students visit the households regularly during the last three years of their medical education, along with colleagues from social work, nursing, law and other disciplines.

“I am eager to play a part in this innovative approach to medical education,” Cherry said. “We are pioneering a new legacy in how we teach medical students in this country.”

Cherry also will join the FIU Faculty Group Practice, concentrating on gynecologic issues that affect women of all ages.

Runowicz, a native of Connecticut, earned her medical degree at Jefferson Medical College in Pennsylvania. Cherry, a native of New York, earned his medical degree at Columbia University.

Media Contact: Madeline Baró at 305-348-2234.

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