FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW YORK, NY (November 26, 2024) – The SCHEQ Foundation (STEMM & Cancer Health Equity) is pleased to announce the addition of Michael Mejia as Senior Director of Strategic Development. Michael joins the organization from the Advisory Board, a healthcare consulting firm and the research division of Optum and UnitedHealth Group, where he served as Director of Life Sciences Research. In this role, Michael helped healthcare leaders drive impactful, data-driven decisions to strengthen organizational strategy, improve operational efficiency, and enhance competitive positioning.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Michael to the SCHEQ Foundation. His expertise in strategic development and dedication to advancing health equity make him an invaluable addition to our team,” said Eugene Manley, Jr., Ph.D., Founder and CEO of the SCHEQ Foundation.
Michael brings extensive expertise in health equity, psychosocial oncology, and patient-centered care and his work has been recognized by organizations such as the American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS), as well as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, where he was invited to present on the topics of patient-reported outcomes and health disparities. Michael serves as a member of the Multi-Disciplinary Specialty Board of the Somatic Mosaicism across Human Tissues (SMaHT) Consortium and the Community Advisory Board for the Development Genotype-Tissue Expression (dGTEx) Project, as well as a contributor to the Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) Research Program. In addition to his advisory roles on NIH-funded initiatives, he serves on the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Standards Committee and the Advisory Group for Implementation Research and Practice, the official journal of the Society for Implementation Research Collaboration. He is also a partner with the non-commercial initiative “Clinical Trials for All.” Previously, Michael contributed to the National Cancer Institute’s Patient-Reported Outcomes version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE), designed to enhance the assessment of patient-reported outcomes in cancer treatment.
At SCHEQ, Michael will oversee strategic growth initiatives to advance the foundation’s mission of enhancing cancer health equity and increasing representation in STEMM fields. He will lead new partnerships, development of impactful content aligned with SCHEQ’s mission, and foster connections with key stakeholders in the healthcare industry. His role will include guiding initiatives that address health disparities in oncology and supporting the foundation’s broader goals of equitable cancer care.
“I am honored to join the SCHEQ Foundation and contribute to such an important mission,” Mejia said. “I look forward to applying my experience in life sciences strategy and health equity to help advance initiatives that will have a lasting impact on cancer care and STEMM representation.”
