Susan J. Curry, PhD
Chairperson, United States Preventive Services Task Force
Interim Executive Vice President and Provost
University of Iowa
Susan Curry is the Chairperson, United States Preventive Services Task Force. Dr. Curry was appointed interim executive vice president and provost of the University of Iowa in April 2017. Prior to her appointment, Dr. Curry was dean of the UI College of Public Health, where she holds rank of distinguished professor in the Department of Health Management and Policy.
Before joining the UI College of Public Health in 2008, Dr. Curry held senior leadership positions at the Institute for Health Research and Policy in the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine, and the Group Health Cooperative.
Dr. Curry was appointed chair of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force in March 2018. She was previously appointed vice chair in March 2016 and served as a member from 2009 through 2014. Dr. Curry was elected to the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) and is a member of their Board on Population Health and past section 9 chair. She is also a member of the CDC’s Interagency Committee on Smoking and Health. Dr. Curry’s past professional activities include membership on the Board of Directors for the Truth Initiative (formerly the American Legacy Foundation), the Board of Scientific Advisors for the National Cancer Institute, and the Board of Directors for the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health. She is a fellow of both the Society of Behavioral Medicine and the American Psychological Association.
She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the American Society for Preventive Oncology’s Joseph R. Cullen Memorial Award, the Society of Behavioral Medicine’s Distinguished Scientist Award, and the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco’s John Slade Award.
Dr. Curry is recognized internationally for her expertise in behavioral science and translation of research findings into health policy. Her research interests include chronic disease prevention and management, the use and cost effectiveness of prevention treatments under different health insurance plans, and health care costs and utilization associated with tobacco cessation.