The National Cancer Institute (NCI) today announced the appointment of Robert T. Croyle, Ph.D., as director of its Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS). Croyle has been the acting division director since November 2002, and is the division's former associate director for behavioral research.

Croyle brings to the position a wealth of experience in cancer control research, including work ranging from prevention to survivorship. He has been an advocate for and collaborator on many cross-cutting issues such as transdisciplinary science, genetic testing, genetic epidemiology, health promotion, measurement, and dissemination. Croyle is responsible for building DCCPS' highly regarded Behavioral Research Program, where he spent four years contributing to some of NCI's highest priority areas.

The division's major initiatives include cancer communications, health disparities, quality of care, genes and the environment, treatment outcomes and quality of life for cancer survivors, and tobacco control - important areas of investment that span the continuum of discovery, development, and delivery. In his leadership role, Croyle is responsible for 170 employees (excluding interns, fellows, and federal contractors), almost 800 extramural grants valued at over $365 million, over $22 million in contracts, and an additional $75 million in operating budgets for programs and branches.

"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to continue my work with the division [of Cancer Control and Population Sciences]," said Croyle. "I couldn't ask for more hard-working, intelligent, and creative colleagues than the ones I've had the pleasure of working with over the past five years. DCCPS is on the cutting edge of research in epidemiology and genetics, behavior, health services, surveillance, and survivorship. It's an exciting place to be."

Before joining NCI in 1998, Croyle worked at three academic institutions and two cancer centers. He spent nine years as a professor of psychology, member of the Huntsman Cancer Institute, and member of the Genetic Science in Society Program at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Prior to that, he was a visiting investigator at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, visiting assistant professor of psychology at the University of Washington, and assistant professor of psychology at Williams College in Massachusetts.

"I am very pleased that Dr. Croyle has accepted the position. He brings leadership experience and expertise in the many facets of cancer control research. He is an energetic leader and a person who will further NCI's high standards for research, collaboration, and outreach," said NCI Director Andrew von Eschenbach, M.D.

Croyle received his Ph.D. in social psychology from Princeton University in 1985, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. in psychology from the University of Washington in 1978. His recent research has examined how individuals process, evaluate, and respond to disease risk information, including medical diagnoses, risk factor screening, and tests for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. His research has been published in professional journals in behavioral science, public health, and cancer, and he has edited two volumes, Mental Representation in Health and Illness (1991) and Psychosocial Effects of Screening for Disease Prevention and Detection (1995).

He is a member of the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research and a fellow of the Society of Behavioral Medicine. His service on journal editorial boards includes positions as an associate editor for Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, and a consulting editor for Health Psychology and the British Journal of Health Psychology.

For more information about NCI's Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, visit http://cancercontrol.cancer.gov.

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