Prevention and Health Behavior
Education and Dissemination
The division plays an active role in disseminating knowledge gained from its research to prevention scientists, educations, prevention practitioners, health professionals and the general public. Dissemination efforts have utilized scientific journals, national and international scientific conferences, practitioner-oriented conferences, newsletters, websites, and the national media.
Professional Training
The division offers professional training opportunities for medical students and training for physicians and allied health personnel on the behavioral aspects of disease prevention. Participants learn the risk factors for development of chronic disease and problem behaviors, as well as the issues related to the design, implementation and evaluation of effective school-based health promotion/disease prevention programs. In addition, through its Center work, the Institute prepares scientists to become leaders in the field of multi-ethnic drug abuse prevention with awareness of, and sensitivity to cultural norms and racial/ethnic differences.
Dr. Gilbert J. Botvin, Director of the Institute for Prevention Research and Professor of Public Health and Psychiatry, is a member of the teaching faculty for Cornell University Medical College’s Residency in General Preventive Medicine. As such, Dr. Botvin acts as a mentor and a seminar preceptor for the "Clerkship in Public Health". In addition, Dr. Botvin serves on the committee designing a new curriculum for Cornell University Medical College students that that emphasizes preventive medicine, health promotion and disease prevention, as well as drug abuse prevention and sensitivity to diversity.
Annual Prevention Summit. Since its inception, the Institute for Prevention Research (IPR) has organized and conducted several major conferences and expert meetings. Over the past three years, IPR has hosted an annual “Prevention Summit” at Snowbird’s scenic Cliff Lodge, a world class conference facility outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. The Prevention Summits have brought together leading experts in the field of drug prevention research with the purpose of discussing new advances in drug abuse prevention and issues related to the dissemination, adoption, and institutionalization of effective prevention approaches, as well as focusing on ways to help set the agenda for future prevention research and practice.
Prevention Science. A major scientific dissemination activity of IPR has been the development of a new scientific journal designed as a unified outlet for work performed by prevention scientists from a variety of disciplines. This work was done in collaboration with the Society for Prevention Research (SPR). The peer-reviewed scientific journal, called Prevention Science, was first published in March 2000 and is an official publication of the Society for Prevention Research. Dr. Botvin served as the initial editor.
