Carla Boutin-Foster

Dr. Carla Boutin-Foster is an Adjunct Associate Professor in both Population Health Sciences and Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. She has established herself as a leading researcher in health equity and racial disparities in healthcare through her extensive scholarly contributions and community-engaged research approach.

Her educational background includes an M.D. from State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn (1994), an M.S. from Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences (1999), and a B.A. from New York University (1990).

• M.D., State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn (1994)
• M.S., Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences (1999)
• B.A., New York University (1990)

Dr. Boutin-Foster's research spans multiple critical areas in health disparities research, with particular emphasis on cardiovascular disease, hypertension management, and the impact of social determinants on health outcomes among racial and ethnic minority populations. Her recent work has pioneered frameworks for promoting anti-racism in clinical practice and medical education, examining the implications of removing race coefficients from clinical algorithms, and developing community-based interventions to address healthcare disparities. She frequently employs qualitative methodologies to capture patient and community perspectives, contributing to culturally tailored interventions like the HeartSmarts faith-based cardiovascular health education program and the MISTER B Trial for colorectal cancer screening among older Black men.

Her publication record demonstrates consistent scholarly productivity from 2001 through 2024, with recent work increasingly focused on anti-racism frameworks in medicine, community perspectives on health equity, and syndemic approaches to understanding health disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her research bridges clinical practice, medical education, and community engagement to address systemic inequities in healthcare delivery.

Dr. Boutin-Foster has collaborated extensively with researchers at Weill Cornell and other institutions, with Mary E. Charlson as her most frequent collaborator (18 publications together). Her work demonstrates a commitment to translating research findings into practical interventions and educational frameworks that can be implemented in clinical settings.

She has been actively involved in medical education through initiatives like the "Community Perspectives in Medicine" elective for first-year medical students, emphasizing the importance of understanding community contexts in clinical practice. Her research has significant implications for clinical practice, medical education reform, and health policy aimed at eliminating racial disparities in healthcare.