Dr. Cynthia C. Chirwa is a seasoned community engagement specialist with over 18+ years of experience in stakeholder and community engagement in scientific, clinical, and community-based settings. She holds an EdD in health education, an MS in health and behavior studies, and an MA in health education from Columbia University. Dr. Chirwa is a self-starter with a proven ability to engage, lead, advocate, strengthen, and maintain advocacy relations successfully.

Dr. Chirwa has a strong track record of successful stakeholder engagement, coalition building, and cross-functional leadership in various organizations. She has demonstrated the ability to assess markets and identify populations at risk for various diseases such as hepatitis delta and TB/HIV. Dr. Chirwa has built meaningful and trusting relationships with community health practitioners and various leaders and members. She has collaborated with organizations and local stakeholders to develop engagement activities that address key barriers to accessing care for various diseases.

As a Community Engagement Specialist at Gilead Sciences, Dr. Chirwa was responsible for assessing the New York Metropolitan Area (Queens/Brooklyn/Bronx) market and identifying populations at risk for hepatitis delta. She has successfully built trusting relationships with community health practitioners and various leaders/members. Dr. Chirwa collaborates with organizations and local stakeholders to develop engagement activities that address key barriers to access to care for hepatitis delta.

Dr. Chirwa's expertise also includes serving as a Community Engagement Specialist at Care Global Health Consultancy, LLC. She was responsible for local, state, and international TB clinical sites and helped the TB site in Manila, Philippines, strengthen the community structure and stakeholder engagement at local, state, and national levels, including community-based organizations. Dr. Chirwa collaborated with organizations and local stakeholders to develop best practices and key barriers to access to care for Hep A/B, TB/HIV.

Dr. Chirwa also has experience as a Program Administrator/Community Engagement Specialist at Harlem Hospital Center/Columbia University. She managed and monitored all HIV-infected persons with Co-Factors of HIV (Hepatitis A, B & C, STI’s and STD’s) and managed day-to-day activities of the Ryan White and all HIV Preventions contracts, community outreach. Dr. Chirwa demonstrated experience in collaboration with Community partners (CBOs, Schools, Faith-based Organizations, Substance Abuse Treatment Centers, Community Clinics, and Health Care Centers).

Dr. Chirwa has additional skills, including strong communication and coalition building, stakeholder engagement, time management, attention to detail, research, Microsoft Office, CRM, WebEx, and Microsoft Teams. She is seeking a challenging position in an organization that will effectively utilize her experience and offers opportunities for career growth.