Matthew Banegas, Ph.D., MPH, MS, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine, contributing to Health Science through his expertise in cancer care delivery and health equity. He holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Public Health and serves as Co-Director of the Center for Health Equity Education and Research (CHEER). A member of the Cancer Control Program at the UCSD Moores Cancer Center, Banegas is also Vice Chair of the Health Disparities Committee in the Cancer Control Program of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology and a Senior Affiliate Investigator at the Kaiser Permanente Northwest Center for Health Research. His academic background includes a B.S. in Biology (2002), M.S. in Agronomy with a focus on Medicinal Chemistry (2005), and M.P.H. in Community Health Education (2008) from New Mexico State University, as well as a Ph.D. in Health Services specializing in Biobehavioral Cancer Prevention and Control from the University of Washington (2012). He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Prevention and Control Program (2015).

A health services researcher with an emphasis on cancer prevention and control, Banegas applies quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate the intersections of health care delivery, costs, social determinants of health, and cancer patient outcomes. His work examines social and economic risk factors such as financial hardship, housing instability, food insecurity, employment, and insurance trajectories throughout the cancer continuum, from diagnosis and treatment to survivorship and end-of-life care. He explores health system strategies, including social risk screening and referral programs integrated into oncology settings. As co-Principal Investigator of the NCI-funded Cancer Financial Experience (CAFÉ) randomized controlled trial, Banegas seeks to mitigate financial hardship and improve quality of life for cancer patients. His scholarship encompasses over 120 publications, including "Association of Social Risk Factors With Mortality Among US Adults With Cancer" (JAMA Network Open, 2022), "The human crisis in cancer: a Lancet Oncology Commission" (The Lancet Oncology, 2025), "Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Second Primary Lung Cancer After Breast Radiotherapy: A SEER Cohort Analysis (2000-2022)" (Cancers, 2026), and "Cancer-Related Crowdfunding Economy in the United States" (Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, 2025). With more than 6,200 citations on Google Scholar, his contributions significantly advance health equity and oncology research.

Professional Email: mbanegas@health.ucsd.edu