A Conversation With Jacob Brody

Abstract

Jacob Brody is Professor Emeritus of Epidemiology at the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago where he served as Dean from 1985 tol992. Under his guidance the School doubled in size and increased its research funding 700%, while developing a national model for teaching and implementing public health practice. His service at the Centers for Disease Control (Epidemic Intelligence Service) and at the National Institutes of Health from 1957 to 1985 included assignments in Costa Rica, Bangladesh, Panama, Russia, Alaska, and Hiroshima. He created the US government's epidemiology programs for neurology, alcoholism, and aging. In 1957, the American Medical Writers Association honored him for the Best Book on a Medical Subject for Physicians. He became President of the American Epidemiologic Society in 1980 and the following year was presented the Distinguished Service Medal of the U.S. Public Health Service and cited as the most decorated member of the Public Health Service. In 2000, he received the prestigious Lilienfeld Award from the American Public Health Association for outstanding contributions, leadership, and research in epidemiology. He has authored more than 250 scientific publications and in 2002 he was recognized as being among the top 0.5% of the most frequently cited authors in the field.