Professor Peter A. Ubel, M.D., who holds faculty appointments in Fuqua School of Business, Sanford School of Public Policy and the School of Medicine, is among 100 new members elected to the prestigious National Academy of Medicine.
Ubel, the Madge and Dennis T. McLawhorn University Professor, was selected for his research on the psychology of health care decision-making that has revealed the unconscious and irrational forces that influence choices made by patients and physicians.
Election to the Academy is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service. The academy announced the election of 90 regular members and 10 international members during its annual meeting on Oct. 21.
"This honor clearly recognizes Peter’s commitment to outstanding scholarship and underscores a core value of our school of excellence," said Judith Kelley, dean of the Sanford School.
Ubel is frequently quoted in the media and a regular contributor to Forbes.com.
Ubel uses the tools of decision psychology and behavioral economics to explore topics like informed consent, shared decision making and health care spending. His books include Critical Decisions, Pricing Life, and Free Market Madness. Among Ubel’s recent journal publications are an analysis of incentive programs in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program and a study of how clinicians and parents of extremely premature infants discuss and understand possible outcomes of care, both published in Pediatrics. Ubel is frequently quoted in the media and a regular contributor to Forbes.com.
“These newly elected members represent the most exceptional scholars and leaders whose remarkable work has advanced science, medicine, and health in the U.S. and around the globe,” National Academy of Medicine President Victor J. Dzau said in a news release. “Their expertise will be vital to addressing today’s most pressing health and scientific challenges and informing the future of health and medicine for the benefit of us all. I am honored to welcome these esteemed individuals to the National Academy of Medicine.”
New members are elected by current members through a process that recognizes individuals who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care, and public health.
Three other Sanford School professors are members of the National Academy of Medicine: Kenneth A. Dodge, founder of the Family Connects and the Center for Child and Family Policy; Kelly Brownell, director of the World Food Policy Center, and Philip J. Cook, ITT/Terry Sanford Professor of Public Policy, and professor of economics and sociology.