Mara Meyer Epstein

Mara Meyer Epstein, ScD, ScM is an Associate Professor at UMass Chan Medical School with multiple affiliations across the institution. She holds positions in the Department of Medicine (Division of Health System Science), Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences at the T.H. Chan School of Medicine, and serves in various departments at the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences including Masters in Clinical Investigation, Population Health Sciences, and the Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program. Additionally, she is affiliated with the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing.

Education:

• ScD in Epidemiology from Harvard School of Public Health (2010)
• ScM in Epidemiology from Harvard School of Public Health (2007)
• BS in Biology from Emory University (2005)
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health (2010-12)
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School (2012-13)

Dr. Epstein is a cancer epidemiologist specializing in hematological cancers, particularly multiple myeloma and its precursor condition, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). Her research portfolio spans prostate cancer, inflammation and cancer relationships, nutritional and molecular epidemiology, cancer survival analysis, cancer screening practices, and the utilization of electronic health data. She has developed expertise in using large population-based datasets to examine mortality trends and cancer screening practices. Her current work focuses on leveraging electronic health records and health claims data to conduct epidemiologic research and develop case-finding algorithms.

Dr. Epstein's publication record demonstrates consistent research productivity with a focus shifting toward health disparities, implementation science, and the use of big data in cancer research. Recent publications (2022-2025) show increased attention to health equity issues, particularly regarding racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in cancer outcomes. Her work with the All of Us Research Program indicates a growing emphasis on precision medicine approaches to cancer epidemiology.

Dr. Epstein serves as a faculty member in the Division of Health Systems Science at UMass Chan and at the Meyers Health Care Institute. She is a former participant in the Cancer Research Network Scholars Program and an AGING Initiative Multiple Chronic Conditions Scholar. Notably, she serves as the site Principal Investigator at UMMS for the NIH-funded All of Us Research Program, a significant role in one of the largest precision medicine initiatives in the United States.

Her collaborative research spans multiple institutions and involves numerous co-investigators across epidemiology, oncology, hematology, and health services research fields. She has received support for research examining cancer screening practices, healthcare utilization patterns, and the development of algorithms for identifying cancer cases in electronic health data.