Dr. Samet, a pulmonary physician and epidemiologist, is the dean and professor of epidemiology and occupational and environmental health at the Colorado School of Public Health.
Previously, he held the positions of distinguished professor and Flora L. Thornton Chair, Department of Preventive Medicine at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, and director of the USC Institute for Global Health.
His career has centered on epidemiologic research on threats to public health and using research findings to support policies that protect population health. His research has addressed indoor and outdoor air pollution, smoking, radiation risks, cancer etiology and outcomes and sleep. He has been involved with numerous committees related to use of scientific evidence in characterizing risks and making decisions, including chairing the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee of the U.S. EPA and the FDA's Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC).
For three decades he has authored and edited the reports of the Surgeon General on smoking and health, including serving as senior scientific editor for the 50th Anniversary 2014 report. Dr. Samet received the 2004 Prince Mahidol Award for Global Health awarded by the King of Thailand, the Surgeon General's Medallion in 1990 and 2006, the Edward Livingston Trudeau Medal from the American Thoracic Society/American Lung Association and the Luther L. Terry Award for Distinguished Career from the American Cancer Society. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine.
