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Bernard F. Fuemmeler, Ph.D., M.P.H., associate director for population science and the Gordon D. Ginder, M.D., chair in Cancer Research at VCU Massey Cancer Center, has been named president-elect for the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM).

SBM is a nonprofit founded in 1978 to study the relationship between human behavior, health and illness. SBM currently has more than 2,400 members representing multiple disciplines from nursing and psychology to medicine and public health.

“I credit my capacity to lead in this way to being privileged to work here at VCU where I have had the support of so many wonderful colleagues,” said Fuemmeler, who is also a professor in the Department of Health Behavior and Policy at the VCU School of Medicine. “I’m excited to be able to represent VCU through my leadership in this national organization.”

Fuemmeler will serve a three-year term at SBM: president-elect, president and immediate past president.

“I look forward to working with Dr. Fuemmeler on the SBM Board in the coming year,” said Margaret L. Schneider, Ph.D., the 2022-2023 president of SBM. “Our society is in an exciting phase of our strategic plan, and Dr. Fuemmeler’s expertise and long affiliation with SBM make him an excellent addition to our leadership team.”

Fuemmeler has been an SBM member for more than 20 years and was named a fellow in 2019 for his career achievements. He has served SBM as a Leadership Institute mentor and an associate editor of the journal, Annals of Behavioral Medicine.

“If there is one thing we learned about operation warp speed and the latest pandemic, it’s that science can happen faster than we think it can,” said Fuemmeler. “But to make an impact on the population, we need behavioral theory and behavioral science to guide our communication, outreach and implementation. It’s exciting to be a part of SBM’s 40 plus year mission of promoting behavioral science and theory to advance medicine and public health.”

During Fuemmeler’s 2023-2024 presidential year, SBM will continue its work to provide enhanced career resources to members, raise awareness about the field within the larger medical community and communicate members’ research findings to the public.

“Bernard Fuemmeler’s contributions to behavioral medicine already made him a renowned leader in the field,” said Robert A. Winn, M.D., director and Lipman chair in Oncology at Massey. “Now having an opportunity to serve SBM in this capacity will allow everyone involved with the society to benefit from his body of work and his commitment to promoting and disseminating evidence-based behavioral science.”

As chair of the SBM Child and Family Health Special Interest Group (SIG), Fuemmeler expanded its membership, worked to build bridges with other organizations and helped lead a manuscript highlighting future directions for child and family health research within the field of behavioral medicine.

Written by: Amy Lacey