Madelon Lubin Finkel is Professor of Population Health Sciences (retired) and Inaugural Director Office of Global Health Education (2004-2021) at

Weill Cornell Medical College The Joan & Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University is Cornell University's biomedical research unit and medical school located in Upper East Side, Manhattan, New York City, New York. Weill Cornell Medicine is affiliated with NewY ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. She holds a doctorate in

epidemiology Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population. It is a cornerstone of public health, and shapes policy decisions and evidenc ...

and health services research from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

. Finkel was a visiting professor at the School of Public Health,

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...

(Australia) in 2004, and at Chulalongkorn University Faculty of Medicine in Bangkok Thailand in 2016. In 2008, she was named a

Fulbright The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...

Senior Specialist. Finkel's work on second surgical opinion programs led to the widespread adoption and implementation of the second opinion benefit required by almost all insurance companies, corporations, and unions. Finkel, in consultation with the

New York City Board of Education The Panel for Educational Policy of the Department of Education of the City School District of the City of New York, abbreviated as the Panel for Educational Policy and also known as the New York City Board of Education, is the governing body of ...

, conducted many studies in the area of

teenage pregnancy Teenage pregnancy, also known as adolescent pregnancy, is pregnancy in a female adolescent or young adult under the age of 20. This includes those who are legally considered adults in their country. The WHO defines adolescence as the period bet ...

and childbearing. Her work led to the revision of the

sexual education Sex education, also known as sexual education, sexuality education or sex ed, is the instruction of issues relating to human sexuality, including emotional relations and responsibilities, human sexual anatomy, sexual activity, sexual reproduc ...

curriculum, which was implemented by the Board of Education in the early 1980s. Her work in the area of hormone replacement therapy focused on alternatives for women experiencing

menopause Menopause, also known as the climacteric, is the time in women's lives when menstrual periods stop permanently, and they are no longer able to bear children. Menopause usually occurs between the age of 47 and 54. Medical professionals often d ...

. She is involved in a

cervical cancer Cervical cancer is a cancer arising from the cervix. It is due to the abnormal growth of cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body. Early on, typically no symptoms are seen. Later symptoms may include abnormal ...

screening project in rural

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, and is studying the health impact of

hydraulic fracturing Fracking (also known as hydraulic fracturing, hydrofracturing, or hydrofracking) is a well stimulation technique involving the fracturing of bedrock formations by a pressurized liquid. The process involves the high-pressure injection of "frack ...

. Finkel's publications on unconventional gas extraction have been cited widely in the lay and professional press. Her article with Adam Law, "The Rush to Drill for Natural Gas: A Public Health Cautionary Tale", calls for epidemiologic studies to assess the potential for harm to human health. Drs Finkel and Law wrote the seminal piece on the potential for harm to human health from unconventional gas development. Since that publication, she has written numerous pieces in the lay and professional press on the health impact of hydraulic fracturing. Finkel has published widely on

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...

topics. Her ninth book, ''Understanding the Mammography Controversy: Science, Politics, and Breast Cancer Screening'', focused on

breast cancer screening Breast cancer screening is the medical screening of asymptomatic, apparently healthy women for breast cancer in an attempt to achieve an earlier diagnosis. The assumption is that early detection will improve outcomes. A number of screening tests ...

. It was recommended by the reviewer for Lancet. Her 10th book, ''Truth, Lies, and Public Health: How We Are Affected when Science and Politics Collide'', discusses in a series of essays the potentially toxic interaction of politics and science. She served as editor of ''Public Health in the 21st Century'', published in 2010. In 2015, she published an in-depth analysis of the impact of

on the environment and human health (''The Human and Environmental Impact of Fracking: How Fracturing Shale for Gas Affects Us and Our World''. Prager Press). In 2017, she edited ''Cancer Screening in the Developing World: Case Studies and Strategies from the Field'' (

University Press of New England The University Press of New England (UPNE), located in Lebanon, New Hampshire and founded in 1970, was a university press consortium including Brandeis University, Dartmouth College (its host member), Tufts University, the University of New Hampsh ...

), which presents innovative strategies in cancer screening in a diverse array of developing countries. This book was awarded the bronze medal by the Independent Publisher Book Awards in 2019. Building on her expertise in the potential for harm to health and the environment from fossil fuel extraction, her book, ''Pipeline Politics: The Evidence Being Ignored and What’s at Stake'' (Praeger Press, 2017) presents a fascinating history of the geo-politics of energy and pipeline wars. Finkel's latest book, ''Breast Cancer Facts, Myths, and Controversies: Understanding Current Screenings and Treatments'' (Praeger Press 2021), provides an easy-to-understand presentation about

breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a re ...

screening and treatment as well as ways of coping with the disease. The text explains the history of breast cancer detection, treatment, and prevention and discusses the benefits and side effects of targeted therapies. In 2019, Finkel established, The Madelon Global Health Foundation, a non-profit organization whose purpose is to focus on women's health issues in an effort to help better the lives of women living in low- and middle-income countries. A secondary purpose is to support organizations and programs that are dedicated to addressing climate change/global warming, specifically as related to its impact on human health. Finkel was named the Bruce Laine Ballard, MD Award for Excellence in Mentorship in 2012, and was awarded the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. This is an honor reserved for individuals who have demonstrated leadership, excellence and longevity within their respective industries and professions. Finkel has received seven Excellence in Teaching awards from Weill Cornell in recognition of her teaching at the Medical School. In 2022, she received a Lifetime Achievement in Education Award from Weill Cornell. Finkel serves as secretary of the board o
Physicians, Scientists, and Engineers for Healthy Energy (PSE)
a non-profit organization whose focus is to examine the empirical bases and assumptions of unconventional energy production as well as the

energy transition The energy transition is the process of downshifting fossil fuels and re-developing whole systems to operate on low carbon energy sources. More generally, an energy transition is a significant structural change in an energy system regarding ...

from fossil fuels to renewable energies. She also serves as a board member (formerly Secretary of the Board) of th
Christian Medical College Vellore Foundation
USA.

Personal life

Born Madelon Lubin and is the daughter of Ralph and Lorraine Lubin. She married Dr David J. Finkel in 1973 and divorced 21 years later. She married Dr Arnold N. Lefkowitz in 1999. She has one daughter
Prof. Rebecca Finkel
and three step-daughters, includin

an
Ryan Lefkowitz
and two grandchildren.

References

External links

''Understanding the Mammography Controversy: Science, Politics, and Breast Cancer Screening''
(Westport, CT: Praeger Press. 2005)
''Truth, Lies, and Public Health: How We Are Affected when Science and Politics Collide''
(Westport, CT: Praeger Press. 2007) *
''Public Health in the 21st Century''
(Westport, CT: Praeger Press. 2010) {{DEFAULTSORT:Finkel, Madelon American women epidemiologists American epidemiologists Healthcare reform in the United States Public health researchers 1949 births Living people New York University alumni 21st-century American women