A Prestigious Professorship

Noel Brewer, Ph.D., professor of health behavior and renowned researcher of vaccine uptake and health decision science, has been named Gillings Distinguished Professor in Public Health.

Brewer is one of the world’s top researchers in risk beliefs and communication and is a leading authority on the science behind vaccination practices and vaccine hesitancy.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Brewer has provided critical leadership and guidance on COVID-19 vaccination strategies to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC).

“Dr. Brewer’s work is timely and critically important as the U.S. and world launch mass vaccination programs for COVID-19 in 2021, and he is sought out regularly for his expertise on decision science and vaccine uptake,” said Barbara K. Rimer, Dr.P.H., Alumni Distinguished Professor and dean of the Gillings School.

Brewer has advised on vaccination for human papillomavirus (HPV) and other vaccine-preventable diseases for the WHO, CDC, NVAC, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the President’s Cancer Panel.

Additionally, Brewer is a member of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. Findings from his research about the harms of vaping and smoking and the effects of tobacco product warning labels have been critical in the effort to implement enhanced warnings on cigarette packages through the FDA.

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