About the Panel Chair
The President’s Cancer Panel was established in 1971 by the National Cancer Act (P.L. 92-218). Members are appointed by the President of the United States and charged with monitoring the progress of the National Cancer Program. In 2012-2013, the Panel held a series of meetings and released a report on the potential of and barriers to HPV vaccination. As a follow-up to that report, in 2018, the Panel Chair assessed the landscape of HPV cancers and vaccination. A report was submitted to the White House identifying opportunities for further increasing HPV vaccination in the United States and around the world.
For information on current members and activities, visit the President’s Cancer Panel’s website.
Barbara K. Rimer, DrPH
Dean and Alumni Distinguished Professor
Gillings School of Global Public Health
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC
Dr. Rimer's work in the cancer field has guided national research, practice, and policy for more than 20 years. Her research has contributed to the evidence base in several cancer-related areas, including informed decision making, long-term maintenance of behavior changes, adherence to cancer prevention and early detection practices, and dissemination and implementation of evidence-based interventions. She was the first woman and behavioral scientist to chair the National Cancer Institute’s National Cancer Advisory Board, a presidential appointment. She has received numerous awards, including the Healthtrac Foundation Award for Health Education in 2004 and the American Cancer Society's Medal of Honor in 2013. She is a member of the National Academy of Medicine.
Dr. Rimer received a BA and an MPH from the University of Michigan and a DrPH from the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health.
President Barack Obama appointed Dr. Rimer to the President's Cancer Panel in 2011.
