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

Weill Cornell Medical College Weill Cornell Medicine (; officially Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University), originally Cornell University Medical College, is the medical school of Cornell University, located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in Ne ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. She holds a doctorate in

epidemiology Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and Risk factor (epidemiology), determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population, and application of this knowledge to prevent dise ...

and

health services research Health services research (HSR) became a burgeoning field in North America in the 1960s, when scientific information and policy deliberation began to coalesce. Sometimes also referred to as health systems research or health policy and systems resear ...

from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

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

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...

(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 ...

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 under the age of 20. Worldwide, pregnancy complications are the leading cause of death for women and girls 15 to 19 years old. The definition of teenage pregnancy i ...

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 human sexual anatomy, sexual activity, sexual reproduction, safe sex, birth control, sexual healt ...

curriculum, which was implemented by the Board of Education in the early 1980s. Her work in the area of

hormone replacement therapy Hormone replacement therapy (HRT), also known as menopausal hormone therapy or postmenopausal hormone therapy, is a form of hormone therapy used to treat symptoms associated with female menopause. Effects of menopause can include symptoms such ...

focused on alternatives for women experiencing

menopause Menopause, also known as the climacteric, is the time when Menstruation, menstrual periods permanently stop, marking the end of the Human reproduction, reproductive stage for the female human. It typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 5 ...

. She is involved in a

cervical cancer Cervical cancer is a cancer arising from the cervix or in any layer of the wall of the cervix. It is due to the abnormal growth of cells that can invade or spread to other parts of the body. Early on, typically no symptoms are seen. Later sympt ...

screening project in rural

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, and is studying the health impact of

hydraulic fracturing Fracking (also known as hydraulic fracturing, fracing, hydrofracturing, or hydrofracking) is a well stimulation technique involving the fracturing of Formation (geology), formations in bedrock by a pressurized liquid. The process involves the ...

. 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. 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 de ...

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 a cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a Breast lump, lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, Milk-rejection sign, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipp ...

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 An energy transition (or energy system transformation) is a major structural change to energy supply and consumption in an energy system. Currently, a transition to sustainable energy is underway to limit climate change. Most of the sustainab ...

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 David J. Finkel in 1973 and divorced 21 years later. She married Arnold N. Lefkowitz in 1999. She has one daughter, Rebecca Finkel, and three step-daughters, including Eva Lefkowitz and Ryan Lefkowitz, Esq., 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 Cornell University faculty