Cynthia D. Morris

Cynthia D. Morris serves as Professor and Vice Chair in the Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), where she also directs the Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute (OCTRI) and leads the NIH CTSA grant. Her leadership spans clinical research infrastructure, workforce development, and innovative trial design.

Her educational foundation includes:

• Ph.D. in Epidemiology, University of Washington (1985)
• M.P.H. in Epidemiology, University of Washington (1981)
• B.S. in Biology, Portland State University (1978)
• B.S. in Psychology, Portland State University (1977)

Dr. Morris's research integrates clinical translational science with health equity through three interconnected pillars: (1) Developing novel clinical trial methodologies for vulnerable populations, particularly in respiratory outcomes of maternal smoking and critical care recovery; (2) Creating sustainable workforce development pipelines that have trained over 1,400 researchers through OHSU's Master of Clinical Research program; (3) Implementing community-engaged approaches to address health disparities in addiction medicine and maternal-child health. Her work consistently bridges molecular mechanisms (epigenetics, placental function) with population-level interventions.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strategic focus on translational impact, with 60% of recent work targeting interventions for disadvantaged populations. Key thematic clusters include: vitamin C supplementation trials for smoking-affected pregnancies (7 articles), addiction consult service modeling (4 articles), and pandemic resilience in clinical research infrastructure (2 articles). This portfolio demonstrates rigorous methodology development applied to high-impact public health challenges.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• highest awards in education and mentoring in Oregon
• Distinguished Educator Award from the Association for Clinical and Translational Science

Dr. Morris has secured over $50M in NIH funding, including continuous support for underrepresented student training programs serving 600+ participants. Her mentorship legacy spans 40+ F/T/K awardees, with OCTRI's infrastructure supporting 200+ early-career investigators annually through specialized cores in biostatistics, community engagement, and data science. Current initiatives include the LIFT trial for post-ICU mindfulness interventions and expansion of addiction consult services through Medicaid ACO partnerships.

As OCTRI Director, she oversees a statewide consortium connecting 12 Oregon research institutions through shared resources including the Clinical Research Center, Community Engagement Core, and Data Science Innovation Hub, driving translational efficiency across the research spectrum.