Two
University
of
Waterloo
researchers
specializing
in
chronic
disease
prevention
are
newly
appointed
Applied
Public
Health
Chairs,
the
Canadian
Institutes
of
Health
Research
(CIHR)
announced.
The
prestigious
positions,
awarded
only
once
every
five
years,
include
close
to
a
million
dollars
each
in
funding
for
highly
focused
research
programs
of
national
relevance
to
public
health.
Professors
Scott Leatherdale and
David
Hammond,
both
of
the
Faculty
of
Applied
Health
Sciences
and
the
School
of
Public
Health
and
Health
Systems
at
Waterloo,
are
recognized
nationally
as
leading
experts
in
developing
and
evaluating
strategies
for
reducing
the
prevalence
of
chronic
disease
among
the
Canadian
population.
Professor Leatherdale,
an
expert
in
youth
health
and
an
advisor
for
provincial
and
national
policy-makers,
will
use
his
award
to
further
expand
his
project,
COMPASS
—
the
world’s
largest
and
most
comprehensive
longitudinal
study
of
youth
focused
on
using
programs
and
policies
to
reduce
the
future
cancer
burden
in
Canada.
The
first
study
of
its
kind,
COMPASS
uses
a
systems
science
approach
to
guide
evidence-based
decision
making
in
youth-focused
policy
and
practice.
Its
goal
is
to
change
the
major
modifiable
risk
factors
for
cancer,
including
tobacco
use,
poor
diet,
alcohol
use,
physical
inactivity
and
obesity.
“A
key
to
improving
the
health
of
large
segments
of
the
population
is
in
understanding
the
relationship
between
the
environmental
context
in
which
people
live
and
how
it
impacts
their
future
disease
risk,”
said
Professor Leatherdale.
“If we
can
change
or
adapt
the
environment
to
reduce
the
future
risk
of
cancer
and
other
related
diseases
such
as
diabetes
and
cardiovascular
disease,
the
outcomes
for
Canada
can
be
substantial.”
Professor
Hammond
will
continue
his
work
on
obesity
and
tobacco
use—two
major
health
issues.
“The
number
of
obese
children
and
youth
in
Canada
has
tripled
over
the
past
30
years
and
smoking
rates
remain
at
more
than
4
million
Canada,”
said
Professor
Hammond.
“Obesity
is
a
leading
cause
of
death
and
disease
in
this
country,
but
it
is
a
risk
factor
we
can
change.”
Professor
Hammond
specializes
in
nutrition
policies
and
the
efficacy
of
nutritional
labelling,
including
ways
to
improve
nutrition
labels
on
food
products
and
promote
healthier
diets.
He
works
closely
with
policy-makers
around
the
world
to
evaluate
new
laws
and
regulations,
including
with
the
World
Health
Organization’s
first
public
health
treaty.
He
is
also
conducting
a
clinical
trial
on
e-cigarettes
as
a
cessation
aid,
as
well
as
research
to
prevent
youth
uptake
of
e-cigarettes.
His
work
on
the
effects
of
plain
packaging
on
smoking
behaviour
has
helped
shaped
legislation
in
such
countries
as
Australia,
the
UK
and
Ireland.
“Tobacco
control
has
unparalleled
potential
to
impact
population-level
health
at
the
national
and
international
scale,”
said
Professor
Hammond.
Professors
Hammond
and Leatherdale join
12
other
Applied
Public
Health
Chairs
across
the
country. CIHR and
the
Public
Health
Agency
of
Canada
funded
these
two
positions.
Media
Contact
Pamela Smyth
University
of
Waterloo
519-888-4777
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