Leah Ferrucci, PhD, MPH

Leah M. Ferrucci, PhD, MPH is an assistant professor at the Yale School of Public Health. Dr. Ferrucci earned her BA from the University of Pennsylvania and her MPH in the Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Yale School of Public Health. She received a PhD in nutritional cancer epidemiology through a joint training program with Yale University and the National Cancer Institute. Throughout her career, Dr. Ferrucci has focused on modifiable cancer risk factors, including nutrition and ultraviolet radiation related exposures, as well as cancer survivorship. As a post-doctoral fellow, Dr. Ferrucci was supported by an Individual National Research Service Award from the National Cancer Institute to study the etiology of early-onset basal cell carcinoma, including indoor tanning, alcohol intake, tea, coffee, and caffeine. Based on this etiologic research, Dr. Ferrucci is working to translate these findings into behavioral interventions to reduce indoor tanning in young women and adolescent girls. Her current research in skin cancer is supported by a Mentored Research Scholar Grant from the American Cancer Society. Dr. Ferrucci is also studying diet quality and food insecurity among female cancer survivors in New Haven and conducting research on metabolomics and the microbiome in the context of weight loss and lifestyle intervention trials for breast cancer survivors.