Dr. Carmen Guerra is the Ruth C. and Raymond G. Perelman professor of medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Guerra is a general internist and cancer equity researcher. She is also the vice chair of diversity and inclusion for the Department of Medicine and the associate director of diversity and outreach for the Abramson Cancer Center.
Dr. Guerra’s research has focused on developing and evaluating interventions to increase the participation of underrepresented populations in cancer screenings and cancer clinical trials. She developed and evaluated several cancer screening patient navigation programs and programs to increase participation of Black patients in cancer clinical trials including a Cancer Clinical Trials Ambassador Program and a financial reimbursement program for out-of-pocket costs for patients participating in cancer treatment trials.
Dr. Guerra co-chaired the American Society of Clinical Oncology-Association of Community Cancer Centers workgroups that developed an unconscious bias training specifically for cancer research teams, “Just Ask”; an equity, diversity and inclusion site self-assessment for cancer research teams to identify best practices; and the ASCO-ACCC joint research statement “Increasing Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Cancer Clinical Trials.” She is member of the American Cancer Society (ACS) National Board of Directors and a member of the ACS Clinical Guidelines Development group. Dr. Guerra is an author of the ACS colorectal, cervical and HPV clinical practice guidelines which widely influence clinical practice.