Carolyn D. Runowicz, MD

Executive Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Florida International University

Dr. Runowicz is a graduate of the Thomas Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. She did her training in obstetrics and gynecology and completed a fellowship in gynecologic oncology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Medical Center in New York City. She was also a Galloway Fellow at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

Dr. Runowicz is a nationally prominent expert in gynecologic cancers and women’s health. 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.

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 outspoken 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 Woman’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.