Dr. Sorensen was a panelist for the Forum’s discussion on Health in the American Workplace.
Glorian Sorensen, PhD, MPH, is Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Harvard School of Public Health, and Faculty Vice President for Faculty Development at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where she also directs the Center for Community-Based Research.
The core of Dr. Sorensen’s cancer prevention research is randomized worksite- and community-based studies that test the effectiveness of theory-driven interventions targeting individual and organizational change. A theme of this work is to test the efficacy of behavioral and organizational interventions that are embedded in the social context or environment in which people live and work. Her research has focused on a range of settings, particularly worksites and labor unions. She conducted the first randomized controlled worksite intervention trials to integrate occupational health and health behaviors, and has designed and tested cancer prevention interventions in across a range of industries, including manufacturing, construction, health care, social service, and transportation, and with small and large worksites. These interventions aim in particular to address disparities in worker health outcomes and to be effective for low-income, multi-ethnic populations. Dr. Sorensen’s research also examines disparities in tobacco control and consumption in India; she has developed strong collaborations with investigators at the Healis-Sekhsaria Institute of Public Health in Mumbai. Her research in India currently includes two studies funded by the National Cancer Institute to design and test tobacco use cessation interventions with teachers in the state of Biharand with manufacturing worksites in Mumbai. Dr. Sorensen’s research has included a P01 program project, several U01’s, and multiple R01’s funded by NCI, NIEHS, CDC, and NIOSH, as well as through foundations, including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Dr. Sorensen is the Principal Investigator for the Harvard School of Public Health Center for Work, Health and Wellbeing, funded by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. She also leads the Harvard Cancer Prevention Education Program and the Training Program in the Lung Cancer Disparities Center, which train pre- and post-doctoral fellows in cancer prevention.
