Kurt Ribisl, PhD
The American Society of Preventive Oncology (ASPO) has named Kurt Ribisl, PhD, the recipient of the 2017 Joseph W. Cullen Memorial Award. ASPO presented the honor at its Annual Meeting in Seattle. In addition to receiving the award, Dr. Ribisl presented a talk on finding a solution for tobacco-related disparities.
Dr. Ribisl is Co-Program Leader for Cancer Prevention and Control at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and Professor in the Department of Health Behavior at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at UNC at Chapel Hill. He just completed a term as a member of the congressionally mandated Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Tobacco Products.
His primary research interest is evaluating and improving the reach of population-level efforts to reduce tobacco use, with a particular emphasis on policy and information technology. Dr. Ribisl specializes in studying policy issues related to the sales and marketing of tobacco products at the point of sale and on the internet. He has researched tobacco product marketing, pricing, promotions, and youth access, as well as the use of geographic information systems in tobacco control.
History of the Award
Joseph W. Cullen, PhD, who served as program coordinator for the National Cancer Institute’s Smoking Tobacco and Cancer Program from 1982 to 1989, was the architect of the world’s largest tobacco intervention and control program. He died of brain cancer in 1990.
ASPO established the Joseph W. Cullen Memorial Award in 1992 to recognize distinguished achievement in continued national tobacco control efforts through research; the development of prevention and cessation programs with a wide-reaching public health impact; or public policy and advocacy initiatives. It also honors individuals whose leadership is exemplified by a commitment to fostering collaboration among the wide network of basic and behavioral scientists, health-care professionals, and public health advocates involved in the fight against tobacco and tobacco-related disease. ■
