Melinda C. Aldrich, PhD, MPH is a Professor in the Department of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She received her MPH and PhD degrees from the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. Aldrich’s current research focuses on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of lung cancer. Her research interests are centered on 1) understanding genetic and non-genetic determinants contributing to lung cancer risk and outcomes and 2) personalized approaches for lung cancer screening. Her research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, Lung Cancer Research Foundation, American Lung Association, Genentech, and Department of Defense. She is widely known for her research in prediction models for lung cancer screening eligibility, where her work played a pivotal role in shaping key U.S. health policy guidelines for lung cancer screening issued by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Dr. Aldrich received the Vanderbilt Chancellor’s Award in recognition of her research.

Dr. Aldrich has held (or currently holds) numerous national and international leadership positions. She served on the American Thoracic Society Thoracic Oncology Assembly Program Committee and Planning Committee, the International Lung Cancer Consortium Steering Committee and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer Screening & Early Detection Committee. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Human Genetics. She also serves on the Executive Committee of the American Thoracic Society Thoracic Oncology Assembly and the Steering Committee of the American Association for Cancer Research Population Sciences Working Group. She is as a member of the American Cancer Society National Lung Cancer Roundtable Health Equity Task Group and the Early Detection Implementation Strategies Task Group.