Dr. Rakowski is a behavioral scientist and senior investigator in The Center, with an academic appointment in the Department of Community Health. He has been on the Brown faculty since 1987. His B.A. and M.A. degrees are in Psychology, from the University of Notre Dame ('72, '73), and his Ph.D. is from Penn State in Human Development and Family Studies ('77). Dr. Rakowski's current research interests are on behavioral science strategies for cancer control, with an emphasis on utilization of cancer screening procedures. He has extended the Transtheoretical Model ("stages of change") to the study of cancer screening, by both instrument development and the evaluation of individually tailored interventions. He also conducts behavioral epidemiology research on population-level datasets (e.g., NHIS, BRFSS, HINTS), to identify factors correlated with receipt of cancer screening. Dr. Rakowski's most recent investigations address the receipt of regular/repeat cancer screening. He is a member of the core group for the "Theories Initiative" project of the NCI's Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, and is a member of the NCI/ACS/CDC steering committee for the 2004 Supplement to Cancer on "Promoting Cancer Screening: Lessons Learned and Future Directions for Research and Practice."

Publications

Rakowski, W., & Breslau, E. S. Perspectives on behavioral and social science research on cancer screening. Cancer, 2004, 101, Issue S5, (September 1)Supplement, 1118-1130.

Meissner, H.I., Vernon, S.A., Rimer, B.K., Wilson, K.M, Rakowski, W., Briss, P. & Smith, R.A. The future of research that promotes cancer screening. Cancer, 2004, 101, Issue S5, (September 1) Supplement, 1251-1259.

Meissner, H.I., Smith, R.A., Rimer, B.K., Wilson, K.M, Rakowski, W., Vernon, S.A., & Briss, P. Promoting cancer screening: Learning from experience. Cancer, 2004, 101, Issue S5, (September 1) Supplement, 1107-1117.

Weinstock, M.A., Risica, P.M., Martin, R.A., Rakowski, W., Smith, K.J., Berwick, M., Goldstein, M.G., Upegui, D., & Lasater, T. Reliability of assessment and circumstances of performance of thorough skin self-examination for the early detection of melanoma in the Check-It-Out project. Preventive Medicine, 2004, 38(6), 761-765.

Rakowski W., Breen N., Meissner H., Rimer, B.K., Vernon, S.W., Clark, M.A., & Freedman, A.N. Prevalence and correlates of repeat mammography among women aged 55-79 in the Year 2000 National Health Interview Survey. Preventive Medicine, 2004, 39(1), 1-10.

Clark, M.A., Rakowski, W., & Bonacore, L.B. Status of the prevalence of repeat mammography and issues of assessment. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 2003, 26(3), 201-211.

Rakowski, W., Lipkus, I.M., Clark, M.A., Rimer, B.K., Ehrich, B., Lyna, P., & Kornguth P.J. Reminder letter, tailored stepped-care, and self-choice comparison for repeat mammography. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2003, 25(4), 308-314.