Photo of Thomas F. Babor, PhD, MPH

Thomas F. Babor, PhD, MPH

Professor, Public Health Sciences
Academic Office Location:
Public Health Sciences
UConn Health
263 Farmington Avenue
Farmington, CT 06030-6325
Phone: 860-679-5459
Fax: 860-679-1581
Email: babor@uchc.edu
Website(s):

Public Health Sciences

Dr. Babor spent several years in postdoctoral research training in social psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and subsequently served as head of social science research at McLean Hospital's Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Center in Belmont, MA. In 1982 he moved to the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. He has served as the Scientific Director at the Alcohol Research Center and the interim Chair of the Psychiatry Department before moving to Community Medicine in 1998. Dr. Babor was head of the Department of Community Medicine and Health Care until 2019 and still is actively involved in the study of alcohol marketing and alcohol public policy.

He is also Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, the oldest substance-related journal published in the United States.

Education
DegreeInstitutionMajor
BAManhattan CollegePsychology
MAUniversity of ArizonaPsychology
PhDUniversity of ArizonaSocial Psychology
MPHHarvard School of Public HealthPsychiatric Epidemiology

Post-Graduate Training
TrainingInstitutionSpecialty
FellowshipUnited States GovernmentNational Defense Education Act Title IV Fellowship
FellowshipHarvard Medical SchoolResearch Fellow, NIMH Research Training Program in Social Psychiatry, Boston City Hospital
FellowshipTraining Program for Social Scientists in Grenoble, FranceGerman Marshall Fund Fellowship
PostdoctoralHarvard School of Public HealthPsychiatric Epidemiology Postdoctoral Fellowship

Awards
Name of Award/HonorAwarding Organization
Highly Commended Drug Policy and the Public Good (2011) received the first prize in the public health category of the British Medical Association’s medical book competition. This year Oxford nominated the 2nd edition for the same award. Although the book did not receive the first prize, it was one of seven books in the Public Health category designated as “Highly Commended,” which reflects the jury’s impression that the book was considered a cut above the competition.Oxford University Press
Distinguished International Scientist Collaboration AwardCentre for Social Research on Alcohol and Drugs, Stockholm University
First Prize in Public Health CategoryBritish Medical Association
Medical Book Competition Alcohol: No Ordinary CommodityOxford University Press
The Jellinek Memorial PrizeUniversity of Toronto
Endowed Chair in Community MedicineHealth Net, Inc.
Research Scientist Development Award National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Dr. Babor teaches Psychiatric Epidemiology, an elective in the Master of Public Health Program and serves as an advisor to graduate students.

Name & DescriptionCategoryRoleTypeScopeStart YearEnd Year
International Confederation of Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drug (ATOD) Research AssociationsProfessional/Scientific OrganizationBoard MemberExternalInternational2018
Kettil Bruun SocietyProfessional/Scientific OrganizationVice-PresidentExternalInternational2017
Journal of Studies on Alcohol and DrugsEditorial BoardEditor in ChiefExternalInternational2015
Working Group on Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders International Advisory Group for the Revision of ICD-10 Mental and Behavioural Disorders WHO Mental Health and Substance Abuse DepartmentAdvisory CommitteeMemberExternalInternational2011
International Society of Addiction Journal EditorsProfessional/Scientific OrganizationBoard MemberExternalInternational2008
Expert Advisory Panel on Drug Dependence and Alcohol Problems, World Health Organization, Geneva, SwitzerlandAdvisory CommitteeMemberExternalInternational2006
International Society of Addiction Journal Editors Professional/Scientific OrganizationVice PresidentExternalInternational20062008
Societé Francaise d’AlcoologieOtherExternalInternational2005
Addiction Editorial BoardAssociate Editor in ChiefNational2005
Institute of Medicine’s Committee on the Future of Emergency Care in the United States Health System. National Academy of Sciences, Washington DC. Professional/Scientific OrganizationMemberExternalNational20042006
Strategic Planning Process, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProfessional/Scientific OrganizationExternal PartnerExternalNational2004
CDC Guide to Community Preventive Services, Alcohol Initiative. Center for Disease Control and PreventionProfessional/Scientific OrganizationCoordination TeamExternalNational2004
Journal of Mental Health Editorial BoardEditorExternalNational2002
Comité Scientifique, Alcoologie et Addictologic Professional/Scientific OrganizationMemberExternalInternational2002
International Society of Addiction Journal EditorsProfessional/Scientific OrganizationBoard MemberExternalInternational2001
British Society for the Study of Addiction (Honorary Member) Professional/Scientific OrganizationMemberExternalInternational2000
The Governor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on Substance Abuse Professional/Scientific OrganizationMemberExternalState19962000
Connecticut Alcohol and Drug Policy Council Professional/Scientific OrganizationMemberExternalState1996
Panel on Effectiveness and Outcomes: National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and AlcoholismAdvisory CommitteeMemberExternalNational19951996
Regional Editor for the Americas, Addiction Editorial BoardEditorExternalRegional1993
Journal of Studies on Alcohol Professional/Scientific JournalEditorial BoardNational19922002
Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI), Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN), the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST), World Health Organization, Geneva Editorial BoardEditorial CommitteeExternalInternational19921996
Drug and Alcohol Dependence Editorial BoardEditorial BoardNational1989
British Journal of AddictionEditorial BoardMemberExternalInternational19891992
NIAAA Clinical and Treatment Subcommittee (ALCP-1), Alcohol Psychosocial Research Review Committee.Professional/Scientific OrganizationMemberNational19881991
Alcohol Psychosocial Research Review Committee, National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Research CommitteeMemberExternalNational19881991
Research Society on AlcoholismProfessional/Scientific OrganizationMemberExternalNational1987
"Prevention and Treatment of Alcohol-Related Problems: An Update on Research Opportunities." Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C. Study SectionMemberNational19871989
"Treatment of Alcohol Problems." Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences. Study SectionMemberExternalNational19871989
Epidemiology manuscripts, Journal of Studies on AlcoholProfessional/Scientific JournalField EditorExternalNational19871992
Alcohol, Health and Research WorldEditorial BoardMemberExternalNational19861994
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Professional/Scientific OrganizationConsultantExternalNational19861993
Drug Abuse Advisory Committee, Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, MD Advisory CommitteeMemberExternalState19851987
Societé Francaise d'Alcoologie Professional/Scientific OrganizationMemberExternalInternational1984
Work Group to Revise DSM-III, American Psychiatric Association Professional/Scientific OrganizationMemberNational19841987
Veterans Administration Medical Research Service Merit Review Board for Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences Research CommitteeMemberExternalNational19841987
User Board, National Clearinghouse on Alcohol InformationProfessional/Scientific OrganizationMemberExternalNational19841986
Division of Mental Health, World Health OrganizationProfessional/Scientific OrganizationTemporary AdvisorExternalInternational19831995
Task Force on Instrumentation, WHO/ADAMHA Joint Project on Diagnosis and Classification of Mental Disorders and Alcohol and Drug-Related Problems Professional/Scientific OrganizationMemberExternalInternational19821995
American Public Health Association (Council on Alcohol Policy)Professional/Scientific OrganizationMemberExternalNational1978
American Psychological AssociationProfessional/Scientific OrganizationMemberExternalNational1972

Dr. Babor's research interests include screening, diagnosis, early intervention, and treatment evaluation, as well as cultural factors related to alcohol and drug problems.

Journal Articles

Books

  • Sulkunen, P., Babor, T., Cisneros Ornberg, J., Egerer, M., Hellman, M., Livingstone, C., Marionneau, V., Nikkinen, J., Orford, J., Room, R., Rossow, I. Setting Limits: Gambling, Science and Public Policy 2019 Jan;
  • Babor TF, Caulkins J, Fischer B, Foxcroft D, Humphreys K, Medina-Mora ME, Obot I, Rehm J, Reuter P, Room R, Rossow I, and Strang J. Drug Poicy and the Public Good (2nd Edition) 2018 Jan;
  • Babor TF, Stenius K, Pates R, Miovský M, O’Reilly J and Candon P. Publishing Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed (3rd Edition) 2017 Jan;
  • Babor, T., Caetano, R., Casswell, S., Edwards, G., Giesbrecht, N., Graham, K., Grube, J., Gruenewald, P., Hill, L., Holder, H., Homel, R., Livingstone, M., Österberg, E., Rehm, J., Room, R., Rossow, I. Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodity - Research and Public Policy 2nd edition. (also translated into Thai, Korean, Chinese, Spanish) 2010 Jan;
  • Sulkunen P, Babor TF, Ornberg JC, Egerer M, Hellman M, Livingstone C, Marionneau V, Nikkinen J, Orford J, Room R, Rossow I. Setting Limits: Gambling, Science and Public Policy

Book Chapters

  • Substance Abuse: Alcohol Use Disorders
    Babor, T.F., Kranzler, K.R., Haernandez-Avlia, C.A. and Ungemack, J.A. Psychiatry 2003 Jan;

Editorials

Letters

Other

Reviews

Title or AbstractTypeSponsor/EventDate/YearLocation
Alcohol treatment and early detectionOtherDanish National Conference2019Copenhagen, Denmark
A political economy analysis of the health taxes policy arenaOtherWorld Health Organization2019Geneva, Switzerland
Qualitative evaluation of four large scale alcohol industry research projectsTalkKettil Bruun Society2019Utrecht, Netherland
WHO Road injuries & Addiction ForumWorld Health Organization2019Geneva, Switzerland
Certificate in Addiction ScienceInternational Confederation of University Programs2019Cusco, Peru
Yale University Schottenfeld Invited Lecture: Screening, brief intervention and referral to treatmentLectureYale University2019New Haven, CT
Global Governance Conference on Alcohol ControlsUniversity of Melbourne2019Melbourne, Australia
Mental Health Services and Systems for Addiction TreatmentWorld Health Organization2019Abu Dhabi, UAE
Treatment Systems SymposiumLisbon Addictions Conference2019Lisbon, Portugal
Alcohol Harm & Cannabis - Expert meetingWHO Headquarters2019Geneva, Switzerland