Leslie M. Kantor, PhD, MPH is a widely recognized public health leader, researcher, educator and advocate. She currently serves as the inaugural Chair of the Department of Urban-Global Public Health at the Rutgers School of Public Health. Her current projects include efforts to create health literate messaging related to COVID 19, reduce severe maternal morbidity and mortality in Newark, evaluate new approaches to preventing adverse childhood experiences (ACES) and increase health equity.

Dr. Kantor was formerly the Vice President of Education at Planned Parenthood Federation of America and a member of the faculty at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. She has served on the boards of a number of national organizations including ETR Associates, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Power to Decide (formerly the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy), and Answer.

Dr. Kantor is the 2020 recipient of the Allan Rosenfield Alumni Award for Excellence from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, the 2019 recipient of the LLoyd M. Felmly award from the New Jersey Public Health Association for advancing public health through media, the 2018 recipient of the Carl S. Shultz Lifetime Achievement Award from the Sexual and Reproductive Health section of APHA, the recipient of APHA’s Jay S. Drotman award for challenging public health practice in a creative and positive manner, and a recipient of the Millicent Carey McIntosh award for feminism from Barnard College.