Washington, D.C. – The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) will present its Honorary Fellow Award to Dr. Ross Brownson, a leading expert in chronic disease prevention and implementation science, on Tuesday, March 19, during its SOPHE 2024 Annual Conference.
The Honorary Fellow Award is SOPHE’s highest honor presented to a non-member who has made significant and lasting contributions to health education and the public’s health.
“We are so excited to name Dr. Brownson our Honorary Fellow this year in St. Louis,” SOPHE President Dr. Raffy R. Luquis said. “He is one of the foremost authorities on chronic disease prevention and health promotion in the country, and his outstanding credentials speak for themselves.”
Dr. Brownson, regarded as one of the academic and practice leaders in the field of evidence-based public health, will also give the conference keynote presentation “Implementation Science Now and in the Future: Addressing Impact and Health Equity.” He is the Steven H. and Susan U. Lipstein Distinguished Professor of Public Health and Director, Prevention Research Center, Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. He also has a joint appointment with the university’s School of Medicine in the Division of Public Health Sciences and the Siteman Cancer Center.
Throughout his career he has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to advancing the research, teaching and practice of chronic disease prevention and health promotion. His leadership in dissemination and implementation research, including measurement of key constructs, has greatly improved the adoption, uptake, and sustainability of evidence-based health interventions for cancer and other chronic conditions. He has advanced the reach, sophistication, and impact of training in evidence-based public health among practitioners, setting him apart as a sterling health promotion advocate and visionary with a lasting impact on the nation’s health.
“Dr. Brownson’s leadership in health promotion and research is remarkable,” SOPHE CEO Dr. William Datema said. “We are honored to have him present at our Annual Conference and proud to name him our Honorary Fellow. His work in chronic disease prevention and health promotion embodies what the award is all about.”
Brownson directs the Prevention Research Center, a center that develops innovative approaches to chronic disease prevention through translational research. He leads a large number of other research and training projects funded by a broad array of federal and foundation sources, including the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
He is also an associate editor of the Annual Review of Public Health and on the editorial board of six other journals. Brownson is the editor or author of 14 books including: “Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Prevention, and Control,” “Evidence-Based Public Health,” and “Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health: Translating Science to Practice.” He is past-president of the American College of Epidemiology and the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors.
For these reasons and more, SOPHE is honored to name Dr. Ross Brownson as the SOPHE 2024 Honorary Fellow. He joins the ranks of distinguished SOPHE luminaries awarded this honor, including former social justice advocates Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher, Rep. John Lewis, and First Ladies Michelle Obama and Rosalyn Carter.
For more information contact: news@sophe.org.
About SOPHE
The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) is a nonprofit association that supports leaders in public health, health education and promotion to advance healthy and equitable communities across the globe. SOPHE members work in health care settings, communities, organizations, schools, universities, worksites, and in local, state and federal government agencies. For more information visit www.sophe.org.
