Laurel Finster is the Director of Research and External Partnerships at Stanford University, where she leads large-scale, cross-sector research initiatives focused on population health, cancer prevention, and health equity. With more than two decades of experience, her work emphasizes building durable partnerships that translate academic research into real-world impact through strategic planning, rigorous evaluation, and collaborative program development. Previously, she served as Senior Research Advisor at Cedars-Sinai’s Cancer Research Center for Health Equity, supporting multi-site, grant-funded programs that examined structural drivers of cancer disparities and helped secure millions of dollars in federal, state, and foundation funding. Her leadership experience includes national and statewide initiatives addressing cancer prevention and care for underserved communities, including LGBTQ+ communities, Asian American populations, and adolescents and young adults with cancer. In addition, she is a faculty member in Cedars-Sinai’s Master’s in Health Systems Science program, where she developed and teaches a core course on health systems and equity. As a 2026 MAPCI Fellow, Finster joins a community advancing rigorous methods for cancer prevention and control research.