Ross Brownson established the Prevention Research Center (PRC) in 1994 at Saint Louis University School of Public Health (SLU-SPH), but the roots of the Center began during his time at the Missouri Department of Health. While working in state public health practice, he helped pass legislation and secure funding for chronic disease prevention programs, tackling issues like cancer screening, obesity and physical inactivity. “It taught me a lot,” he said. “You find out how the real world operates, how information is used, what works and what doesn’t.”
Ross’s tenure at the health department shaped his interest in evidence-based public health and chronic disease prevention. It was during this period he secured funding to establish a new PRC, part of a nationwide network of academic centers authorized by Congress.
In 1994, Ross transitioned from the health department to SLU-SPH to help build its public health program, establishing the PRC with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The PRC’s Deputy Director, Amy Eyler, joined the PRC the next year to coordinate a project on women’s health and physical activity. “The PRC was a place where I could put my PhD in Public Health to good use.” she said. She also became the principal investigator of the Physical Activity Policy Research Network (PAPRN) over the next 10 years, integrating the work of 18 research sites studying the nature and extent of physical activity policy in a variety of settings.
In 2008, the PRC team moved to WashU’s Brown School, in part to help establish a new Master of Public Health program. Today, the WashU PRC collaborates with academic, community, national and international partners to address chronic diseases like obesity, cancer, and diabetes. Since its founding, the PRC has been at the forefront of public health, impacting health outcomes locally, nationally, and globally – a legacy recently featured in The Source, Washington University in St. Louis’ digital news publication.
The PRC’s mission—integrating research, practice, and policy to enhance community health—continues to guide the center’s efforts as WashU moves into a new era and prepares to launch the new School of Public Health at WashU.