Mayra Serrano, Dr.PH.

Mayra Serrano, Dr.PH., M.P.H., C.H.E.S., is associate director of Community Outreach and Engagement (COE), a leadership role at City of Hope® Cancer Center Duarte. In this position, Dr. Serrano helps bridge City of Hope’s research with the priorities and needs of communities across Southern California. Dr. Serrano’s work with the COE team includes: 

• Providing strategic guidance to support City of Hope’s mission of promoting equitable access to cancer car
• Building and sustaining partnerships with community groups, policymakers, academic centers and health care systems
• Advancing City of Hope’s community-engaged research agenda
• Expanding access to clinical trials and other treatment options that align with the needs of today’s cancer patients

She also partners closely with teams across City of Hope, including the Office of Health Access and Community Enrichment, to foster collaboration with the community and help remove barriers to care.
Prior to taking on her current position in 2026, Dr. Serrano served as chief health equity officer for Anthem Blue Cross California's Medicaid program. Her career in health care and equity began at City of Hope as an intern through the Eugene and Ruth Roberts Summer Student Academy and advanced through City of Hope's leadership pipeline. She later held other roles at City of Hope, including senior manager of community outreach and engagement.
Dr. Serrano brings more than 18 years of experience in community-partnered research, health equity and public health service to her work at City of Hope. She earned her undergraduate degree from Whittier College in Whittier, California, followed by a Master of Public Health from the University of California, Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health and a Doctor of Public Health from the Gillings School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Dr. Serrano has been invited to speak at numerous national events and has published her research in multiple peer-reviewed journals.