As an expert in action research, Paul Estabrooks, Ph.D., the first Harold M. Maurer Distinguished Chair of Health Promotion, Social & Behavioral Health, in the College of Public Health, is positioned to help Nebraska move from 10th to first among the healthiest states in the U.S.
Dr. Estabrooks to speak today
Paul Estabrooks, Ph.D., the Harold M. Maurer Distinguished Chair of Health Promotion, Social & Behavioral Health in the College of Public Health, will talk about the emerging field of implementation science at a Brown Bag Luncheon today at noon in the Center for Nursing Science, Room 3030.
The chair was established by a $1 million gift from Ruth and Bill Scott of Omaha in honor of Dr. Maurer, who served as UNMC chancellor from 1999 to 2014 and was instrumental in establishing the College of Public Health in 2006.
Ali S. Khan, M.D., M.P.H., dean of the UNMC College of Public Health, said Dr. Estabrooks comes to UNMC at the perfect time.
“Dr. Estabrooks’ expertise in community-based health efforts and research for the best new interventions was ideally timed with UNMC efforts to champion making Nebraska the healthiest state in the union,” Dr. Khan said. “I am delighted that he will be transforming our health prevention and promotion efforts in Nebraska and beyond.”
Dr. Estabrooks is a practical, behavioral scientist with a vision to do research that integrates with health systems and community organizations in a way that will result in a large public health impact. Most of his work, which has been funded by the National Institutes of Health since 1999, focuses on testing innovative health promotion programs, policies and practice interventions that can be adopted in schools, workplaces and health care clinics.
His research interests include behavioral medicine, physical activity and public health, obesity prevention and control, health equity, group dynamics, and the processes involved in translating research evidence into sustained practice.
Dr. Estabrooks came to UNMC in January from Virginia Tech, where he had been a professor since 2007. While there, he founded the interdisciplinary Fralin Translational Obesity Research Center with Kevin Davy, Ph.D., a physiologist at Virginia Tech. Dr. Estabrooks was involved in the development of practical behavioral interventions for physical activity, nutrition and weight management; dissemination and implementation research; pediatric obesity; work site wellness; and comprehensive community approaches to promote healthful lifestyles.
For the past three years, he also served as senior director of research at Carilion Clinic, a not-for-profit organization that provides health care close to home to nearly one million people in Virginia through hospitals, outpatient specialty centers and advanced primary care practices.
Excellent talk today over lunch! I know my CON colleagues are very excited to have you on board here at UNMC! Welcome!!