Angela Diaz, MD, PhD, MPH, MSH ‘83

Biography

TREATING THE WHOLE PERSON

Angela Diaz, MD, PhD, MPH is the Director of the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center. Under her leadership, the Center has become the largest adolescent health center in the U.S., serving more than 10,000 vulnerable and disadvantaged youth each year, including those who are uninsured and lack access to health services.   

After earning her medical degree at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Dr. Diaz completed her post-doctoral training at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and subsequently received a Master in Public Health from Harvard University and Ph.D. in Epidemiology from Columbia University.  

Dr. Diaz decided to come to Mount Sinai because of its reputation for high quality care, training and research. However, it was the patient population that truly brought Dr. Diaz to Mount Sinai. 

“Sitting at the crossroads between Manhattan’s Upper East Side and East Harlem, and reaching into other communities, Mount Sinai serves a very diverse patient population in terms of socioeconomic status, race and ethnicity, age, cultural background.“

Importance of Adolescent Medicine 

Dr. Diaz believes the cornerstone of a healthy society is a healthy population, which means doctors should treat the whole person at all stages of life, including prenatal, pediatric and adolescent care. A physician must be aware of the many factors that affect a patient’s health: biological, developmental, psychological, behavioral, social and cultural.

“Physical health is only one aspect because many of the health related issues of young people are related to their environment, their behaviors and their exposure to social risks.” 

Next Generation of Leaders 

As leader in her field, Dr. Diaz credits her success to adaptability. She began as a clinician with a deep interest in the impact of trauma and other adversity on health, including sexual abuse and the sexual exploitation of minors. Treating patients with complex and intersecting problems requires an interdisciplinary, comprehensive, and fully integrated health services program. Creating the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center to meet patient needs required Dr. Diaz to develop “as an administrator, strategic planner and fund raiser to strengthen and support the program that I run at Mount Sinai.” 

Dr. Diaz is excited for the next generation of leaders entering the field, because there are many opportunities for them –in clinical care but also in emerging research and teaching.  Adolescents and young adults are an increasingly large percentage of the population, with unique sets of health challenges. Dr. Diaz believes it is up to a new generation of physicians and scientists to take the lead in providing young people with care.