Leading epidemiologist recruited to UF medical faculty

The University of Florida College of Medicine has recruited a distinguished epidemiologist to key positions in the department of health policy and epidemiology.

Nabih Asal, Ph.D., joined the medical faculty in July as a professor and chief of the division of epidemiology. Before coming to UF, he was the David Ross Boyd professor and chairman of the department of biostatistics and epidemiology at the University of Oklahoma School of Public Health.

“Dr. Asal comes to redevelop our Health Science Center programs in epidemiology,” said David Challoner, M.D., interim chairman of the department of health policy and epidemiology and former UF vice president for health affairs. “He brings a career of accomplishments in education and research, especially in collaboration with other clinical scientists. This will augment the potential of our entire clinical research enterprise.”

Asal will lead the development of a master’s degree program in public health for students studying epidemiology, the area of medicine dealing with the study of disease transmission and control. He also will teach courses in epidemiology.

Asal’s research focuses on cancer epidemiology, specifically racial disparities in cancer causation, prevention, detection and control methods. The American Cancer Society and the U.S. Department of Defense fund his current studies.

Asal is a senior member of the UF Shands Cancer Center. He also is a member of the American Public Health Association’s Epidemiology Section and a fellow of the American College of Epidemiology. He is affiliated with the Society for Epidemiologic Research and Delta Omega, an honorary society for graduate studies in public health.