Dr. David Cella is a distinguished leader in medical social sciences and patient-centered outcomes research at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He serves as Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and previously chaired the Department of Medical Social Sciences, where he established himself as a transformative academic leader. As Director of the Center for Patient-Centered Outcomes within the Institute for Public Health and Medicine, he has built a comprehensive research program focused on understanding and measuring patient experiences in healthcare. His leadership extends to the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, where he serves as Associate Director for Cancer Prevention and Control Research, coordinating interdisciplinary efforts to improve cancer care delivery and outcomes.
Dr. Cella pioneered the systematic measurement of patient-reported outcomes and quality of life in clinical research, fundamentally changing how healthcare providers understand treatment impacts from the patient perspective. Beginning with his groundbreaking work in the 1980s, he conducted in-depth interviews with cancer patients to develop scientifically rigorous questionnaires that capture how medical interventions affect daily living and wellbeing. His methodological innovations have established standardized approaches now widely adopted across clinical trials and healthcare systems to incorporate the patient voice into treatment evaluation. With over 300 publications in the field, his research has created a paradigm shift in oncology and beyond, making it standard practice to include patient stakeholders in research design and clinical care decisions. His contributions have transformed clinical research methodology to ensure patient perspectives are systematically captured and valued in healthcare decision-making.
His exceptional contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors including the Gustav O. Lienhard Award from the National Academy of Medicine and the 2023 Tripartite Legacy Faculty Prize in Translational Science and Education at Northwestern University. Dr. Cella has mentored generations of researchers and clinicians, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations that bridge scientific rigor with practical healthcare applications. His work continues to evolve with current focus on implementing patient-centered measurement systems in routine clinical practice to ensure care aligns with what matters most to individuals receiving treatment. As a respected thought leader, he remains at the forefront of advancing methodologies that translate patient perspectives into actionable insights for improving healthcare quality and outcomes worldwide.
