Dr. Adana A. M. Llanos is a geneticist, cancer and molecular epidemiologist, and global health equity scholar whose research explores how social, structural, and environmental inequities influence biology and drive disparities in cancer outcomes. She is a tenured Associate Professor at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, Co-Leader of the Cancer Population Science Program at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, and, since late 2025, a Non-Tenured Scientist at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), reflecting her expanding international research collaborations.
Dr. Llanos' work bridges molecular biology and public health to understand the drivers of cancer risk, progression, and survivorship disparities, particularly in breast cancer. As Principal Investigator of an NIH/NCI-funded study, she investigates how adiposity-related gene expression shapes breast cancer outcomes in racially and ethnically diverse populations, and she leads related NIH-funded research (NIMHD) on structural and environmental drivers of cancer inequity. Her research on chemical hair relaxers and personal care products disproportionately used by Black women continues to inform public health and policy conversations, earning her the 2025 Black Beauty Justice Award from Consumer Reports and recognition at the 2026 Breast Cancer Prevention Partners Luminary Gala.
Since 2019, Dr. Llanos has also provided independent scientific consulting services, assisting investigators with grant editing and polishing to strengthen funding proposals, and serving as a scientific expert in litigation matters requiring rigorous epidemiologic and biomedical analysis.
Dr. Llanos holds continuous NIH, foundation, and institutional funding as Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator, and mentors early-career scientists through federally funded career development awards. She serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for the American Cancer Society's VOICES of Black Women Study and on New York City's Breast Cancer Task Force. She holds editorial leadership roles including the Editorial Advisory Board of Cancer, Senior Associate Editor of Behavioral Medicine, and Section Editor (Cancer Epidemiology) of Current Epidemiology Reports, and serves in national and international leadership positions, including with the American Association for Cancer Research's Population Sciences Working Group and as Co-Chair of the Breast Cancer Working Group of the African-Caribbean Cancer Consortium.
Beyond her research, Dr. Llanos is deeply committed to mentorship, teaching, and community engagement, partnering with non-profit organizations to advance health advocacy and cancer survivorship among historically marginalized communities. In recognition of her leadership, she was named a 2024–2027 Tow Faculty Leadership Scholar. Through her research, mentorship, and service, Dr. Llanos remains dedicated to advancing equity across the cancer care continuum.
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