Director's Messages

David Murray, Ph.D.

David M. Murray, Ph.D.

Associate Director for Prevention
Director, Office of Disease Prevention

Biography and Publications
Presentations

What's New

Explore ODP’s New Strategic Plan—Prevention Research: Creating a Healthier Future for All

February 2024

I am proud to present the ODP Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2024–2028, Prevention Research: Creating a Healthier Future for All. This plan outlines how our office will work to increase the scope, quality, dissemination, and impact of prevention research supported by NIH over the next 5 years.

2023

Helping Our Partners Fund Collaborative Prevention Research Activities

September 2023

In a guest post, ODP staff members share the results of a recent portfolio analysis about ODP co-funding support for prevention research activities from NIH, federal agencies, and federal offices.

10 Years of Protecting Public Health Through Tobacco Regulatory Research

May 2023

(This message originally appeared as a guest post on the NIH Director's Blog on May 9, 2023.)

To help mark its 10th anniversary, the Tobacco Regulatory Science Program (TRSP) was featured on the NIH Director’s Blog. The post highlights how TRSP-supported research has led to effective health policies to protect young people from the harms of using flavored tobacco products.

Early-Stage Investigator Lectures 2023: Advice From Future Leaders in Prevention Research

April 2023

It is our pleasure to announce that ODP’s 2023 Early-Stage Investigator Lecture awardees are Drs. Lilah Besser, Justin Echouffo Tcheugui, and Rodrigo Carrillo-Larco. We asked these future leaders to share their best advice for students and trainees interested in a career in prevention research.

Spotlight on 2022

January 2023

I am proud to share our Spotlight on 2022 annual report highlighting a few of ODP's accomplishments from last year. The report summarizes key projects related to each of ODP’s seven strategic priorities and outlines how they impact public health.

2022

We Need More Implementation Science To Improve Health Equity in Clinical Preventive Services

October 2022

In a guest post, members of the planning team for the Pathways to Prevention Workshop: Achieving Health Equity in Preventive Services, share the results of a recent portfolio analysis that identifies areas where increased implementation science efforts could help make progress toward health equity in preventive services.

Extended—Call for Papers: Design and Analytic Methods to Evaluate Multilevel Interventions to Reduce Health Disparities

May 2022

Submit a manuscript precis by Sept. 30, 2022, for our call for abstracts for a supplemental issue of the journal Prevention Science, the official publication of the Society for Prevention Research, which will be sponsored by the ODP. The forthcoming issue will be entitled “Design and Analytic Methods to Evaluate Multilevel Interventions to Reduce Health Disparities.”

A Q&A with Dr. Christine Baugh, the 2022 ODP Early-Stage Investigator Lecture Awardee 

April 2022

It is our pleasure to announce that ODP’s 2022 Early-Stage Investigator Lecture awardee is Dr. Christine Baugh. Her research focuses on the prevention of concussion and other sports injuries. We asked Dr. Baugh to share a little bit about her background, research, and her perspective on the future of injury prevention research.

What’s New with Research Methods Resources: Stepped Wedge GRTs and More

March 2022

(This message originally appeared as a guest post on the NIH Office of Extramural Research’s Open Mike blog on March 14, 2022.)

We are happy to announce that helpful new resources for stepped wedge group-or cluster-randomized trials and more than 15 other study designs and methodological issues are now available on the NIH Research Methods Resources website.

Spotlight on 2021

January 2022

I am excited to share our Spotlight on 2021 report highlighting a few of the ODP's accomplishments last year. The report summarizes key projects related to each of the ODP’s six strategic priorities and outlines how they impact public health.

2021

Celebrating 35 Years of Putting Prevention Research First

October 2021

I’m honored to mark the 35th anniversary of the ODP. Our Office was founded in 1986 to promote and coordinate prevention research across the NIH and with other public and private partners. The field has changed dramatically since then. To get a sense of how much has been accomplished, ODP staff and I took some time to consider the past, present, and future of prevention research.

New and Updated Resources Available To Help Design Rigorous Clinical Trials

June 2021

(A version of this message originally appeared as a guest post on the NIH Office of Extramural Research’s Open Mike blog on June 9, 2021.)

In 2017, we launched the NIH Research Methods Resources (RMR) website to help address these concerns. Since the site was recently revamped, we wanted to spotlight the new available tools and resources that can help you better plan the design, conduct, and analysis of rigorous NIH-defined clinical trials.

Ending Structural Racism in Biomedical Research and Eliminating Health Disparities

March 2021

The ODP stands with NIH Director, Dr. Francis Collins, and the 27 NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices in support of the new UNITE initiative to end structural racism and racial inequities in biomedical research.

Spotlight on 2020

February 2021

I am pleased to share our Spotlight on 2020 report highlighting a few of the accomplishments our Office has achieved over the last year. The report summarizes key projects and outlines their potential impact on the health of communities across the United States. 

2020

A Q&A with Dr. Julia Marcus, the 2020 ODP Early-Stage Investigator Lecture Awardee

October 2020

It is our pleasure to announce that ODP’s 2020 Early-Stage Investigator Lecture awardee is Dr. Julia Marcus. Her research focuses on improving the implementation of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention. We spoke to Dr. Marcus to learn more about her work, her perspective on the challenges facing HIV prevention research, and her approach to public health.

An Action Plan for Research To Achieve Health Equity in Clinical Preventive Services

August 2020

After several years of work and collaboration, the ODP is excited to share the Federal Partners Meeting Report for the Pathways to Prevention Workshop on Achieving Health Equity in Preventive Services. The report highlights opportunities for collaboration and resources that researchers and government agencies can use to address disparities in the use of clinical services for early detection and prevention of common chronic conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. 

ODP Training Resources for Prevention Researchers

July 2020

The coronavirus pandemic continues to impact the way we live, learn, and engage with one another. Even as our communities begin to reopen, taking preventive measuressuch as wearing a mask to cover your nose and mouth, physical distancing, and frequently washing your handsis still critically important to help reduce the spread of this virus. Unfortunately, these measures often make in-person learning much less feasible.

An Update on Our Ongoing Efforts To Advance Disease Prevention Research in the Time of COVID-19

May 2020

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has changed all our lives in so many ways, and it has certainly changed things for the ODP. Like many of you, we have moved to full-time telework as a means of physical distancing to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. It is critically important for all of us to take these kinds of preventive measures, and we all have a role to play in protecting each other’s health.

Spotlight on 2019

January 2020

We are excited to share our Spotlight on 2019 report highlighting a few of the ODP's accomplishments last year. The report summarizes key projects related to each of the ODP’s six strategic priorities and outlines how they impact public health.