Overview
Dr. Erica Phillips is a physician-scientist whose research focuses on understanding and reducing disparities in obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer risk, particularly among racial and ethnic minority populations. Her work examines why these conditions disproportionately affect certain communities and develops practical, evidence-based strategies to improve health outcomes.
A hallmark of Dr. Phillips's research is her commitment to community-engaged research, partnering directly with community organizations, schools, faith-based institutions, and healthcare systems to design and test interventions that are culturally relevant and sustainable. Her studies have evaluated programs ranging from church-based health promotion initiatives to lifestyle interventions that improved weight loss, health behaviors, and quality of life among Black breast cancer survivors and other clinical populations.
Dr. Phillips's research spans the continuum from understanding health behaviors to developing and implementing interventions that promote healthy living. Her work has used focus groups, surveys, electronic health record data, and behavioral assessment tools to identify barriers to health and to evaluate programs designed to improve diet, physical activity, sleep, and other health behaviors.
She currently leads several innovative research initiatives. Reducing Obesity Using Social Ties (ROBUST) examines how social relationships and support networks can be leveraged to improve weight loss and long-term weight management. Sleep2BWell seeks to improve sleep health as a strategy for reducing racial and ethnic disparities in cardiovascular and metabolic disease. CARES4You is a school-based cancer prevention intervention that equips middle school students and their families with knowledge and skills to adopt healthy behaviors that reduce future cancer risk.
Dr. Phillips's research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health and other federal and foundation funding agencies. Through her work, she aims to advance health equity by developing scalable interventions that improve health behaviors, reduce chronic disease risk, and strengthen the health of underserved communities.
Highlights
- 1JAMA network open · 2022
- 2Journal of general internal medicine · 2025
- 3
Publications
Funding
Active
10 grants- PIDOH01-C38963GG-3450000Peer Education, Outreach, and Shared Decision Making for Persons at High Risk of Prostate CancerNew York State Department of Health · 2023–2028
- MPIU54CA280808-01Center for SOcial CApital (SOCA): Promoting Multigenerational HealthNational Cancer Institute · 2023–2028
- MPIP50MD017341-05Center to Improve Chronic disease Outcomes through Multi-level and Multi-generational approaches Unifying Novel Interventions and Training for health EquitY (SLEEP2BEWELL) SupplementNational Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities · 2021–2027 · via Columbia University· 5 renewals
- PIR01DK135949-03Reducing Obesity Using Social Ties (ROBUST)National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases · 2023–2027· 2 renewals
- Co-ISAC210104Weight management, metabolomics signatures and breast cancer risk and survivalSusan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. · 2025–2027
- PISSL 261661-01Sleep2BWell - Fitabase ContractSmall Steps Labs LLC · 2025–2026Contract
- Co-IW81XWH-22-1-0451Novel Approach to Improving Prostate Cancer Screening Among African American MenU.S. Department of Defense · 2022–2026
- Sub-PIR01HL152699-05Implementing Remote Patient Monitoring to Improve Hypertension Control in a Primary Care NetworkNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute · 2021–2026 · via Columbia University
- PILLS 9008-21BRIDGE (Blood cancer Research Initiative Developing Greater Engagement) with Community PatientsLeukemia & Lymphoma Society · 2021–2026
- Co-IIHS-2017C3-8923-CDN01Preventing Tipping Points in High Comorbidity Patients: A Lifeline from Health CoachesPatient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute · 2019–2025 · via Clinical Directors Network, Inc.
Completed grants (8)
- Co-IT37MD014220-05Career Advancement for Research in Health EquityNational Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities · 2019–2025Training
- Co-ISAC210104Insulin-suppressing diets to reduce breast cancer risk and mortalitySusan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. · 2022–2025
- Co-I5 D34HP31879-04-00Weill Cornell Medicine Diversity Center of ExcellenceHealth Resources and Services Administration · 2018–2024
- Co-IG-89217BRIDGE (Blood cancer Research Initiative Developing Greater Engagement) with Community PatientsGenentech, Inc. · 2021–2023
- Sub-PICC 211957-01Address Lung Cancer Disparities through Navigation and Case Management leading to LDCT screening in 2 High-Risk Lung Cancer CommunitiesBristol-Myers Squibb · 2021–2022 · via CancerCare
- Sub-PIHRI 214282-01Community Cancer Prevention ProjectsCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · 2021–2022 · via Health Research INC (Center for Community Health)Contract
- Sub-PIR01HS024262-05Increasing the Uptake of the USPSTF Hypertension Screening Guidelines in Primary CareAgency for Healthcare Research and Quality · 2017–2021 · via Columbia University
- PIWCMC 190102-01Reducing Breast Cancer Recurrence Among Black Women: The Breast cancer Weight Loss for Life Study (BWELL)Weill Cornell Medical College · 2018–2019
Clinical research
Active
5 studies- PINCT06335810Reducing Obesity Using Social Ties (ROBUST): Randomized Control TrialNA · Weill Medical College of Cornell University · OPEN TO ACCRUAL (as of 2024)Obesity
- PINCT05885997Implementing a Home Blood Pressure Monitoring Program to Improve Hypertension Control in a Primary Care Network: the MonitorBP Cluster Randomized TrialNA · Columbia University · OPEN TO ACCRUAL (as of 2023)Hypertension
- PINCT07501689Using Middle School Science Teachers to Address Health DisparitiesNA · Weill Medical College of Cornell University · OPEN TO ACCRUAL (as of 2023)Cancer Risk Factors; Cancer Prevention
- PIAddressing Sleep Duration, Regularity, and Efficiency: A Multidimensional Sleep Health Intervention for Reducing Ethnic Disparities in Cardiometabolic Disease (DREAM)Columbia University Medical Center · OPEN TO ACCRUAL (as of 2022)
- PIImplementing Remote Patient Monitoring to Improve Hypertension Control in a Primary Care NetworkFoundation for the National Institutes of Health, Inc. · OPEN TO ACCRUAL (as of 2022)
Completed & closed trials (4)
- PIAssessing barriers to acceptability of the HPV vaccine and risk behavioural correlates to cancer prevention strategies among a catch-up population of young Arab American adults (18-26) and their parents in New York City: A Mixed Methods Observational Study.Weill Medical College of Cornell University · CLOSED TO ACCRUAL (as of 2025)
- PIHealth education program and user-centered research on perceptions and access to clinical trials in low-income neighborhoods-BRANY Plus transfer.Weill Medical College of Cornell University · CLOSED TO ACCRUAL (as of 2025)
- PIAssessing the impact of a patient navigation program on cancer patients' treatment decision-makingWCM Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center · IRB STUDY CLOSURE (as of 2025)
- PINCT06565104Adding Sleep to the BWell4Life Diet and Physical Activity Intervention for Cardiometabolic Health Promotion: The Sleep2BWell Community-Based TrialNA · Columbia University · CLOSED TO ACCRUAL (as of 2025)Blood Pressure; Sleep Health; Diet, Healthy; Physical Activity; Weight Loss
News mentions
- Faculty Members Honored with Distinguished AwardsMay 16, 2024
Weill Cornell Medicine faculty members and alumni were honored with awards for their exemplary achievements in research, education and patient care during the institution’s commencement activities on May 15 and 16.
- National Cancer Institute Grant Targets Cancer DisparitiesJune 26, 2023
The $9.8 million, five-year grant awarded to Weill Cornell Medicine and Columbia University will help combat cancer disparities fueled by persistent poverty.
- Awards and Honors – March 31, 2023March 31, 2023
Awards, honors, prizes and achievements for the month of March.
- Newly Funded New York City Center Aims to Reduce Health Disparities in Chronic DiseaseFebruary 11, 2022
A multi-institutional group in New York City has united to address health disparities in multiple chronic diseases through a new collaborative center.
- Two Grants Aim to Increase Access to Care and Clinical Trials for Queens and Brooklyn Patients with Blood CancersMay 6, 2021
Weill Cornell Medicine has received complementary grants from Genentech and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) to support a new program that aims to address socioeconomic and racial disparities and increase access to clinical trials for underserved patients with blood cancers living in Brooklyn and Queens.
Show 2 more mentions
- COVID-19 Research Grants Support Weill Cornell Medicine InvestigatorsSeptember 11, 2020
Weill Cornell Medicine has awarded eight grants of $100,000 each to faculty for a variety of research projects on COVID-19, funded by the institution’s Board of Overseers and additional donors. The grants will support studies aimed at understanding fundamental aspects of the disease, the body’s immune response and social determinants of health that affect COVID-19 outcomes.
- Healthy Habits: A Community Outreach Effort Promotes Positive Lifestyle ChangesAugust 4, 2020
Physicians and public health researchers have long sounded the alarm about the high incidence of cardiovascular disease in economically disadvantaged urban neighborhoods compared with more affluent ones. But in recent years, another disturbing disparity has become increasingly evident: that residents of underserved areas are also diagnosed with cancer—and die of the disease—at disproportionate rates.
Mentoring
MD · 4
- KMKiana McCootyMD mentee · Class of 2025
- FMFatima Morales DelgadoMD mentee · Class of 2022
- CBClare BurchenalMD mentee · Class of 2021
- EREdwin RosendoMD mentee · Class of 2020
other · 7
- MMiriam.Gofine@nyulangone.orgdissertation committee · Class of 2026
- FMFatima MoralesResearch · Class of 2020
- LHLeora HaberMD alum · Class of 2020
- PGPranya GaddipatiMedical Student Scholarly Project
- VGVarshini GaliResearch