Ruiz named assistant director of strategy, workforce development
Photo by Noelle Haro-Gomez, University of Arizona Health Sciences
The University of Arizona Comprehensive Cancer Center has appointed John M. Ruiz, PhD, as assistant director of strategy, workforce development. He will work in close partnership with Patricia Thompson, Ph.D., associate director of strategy, to advise the center’s leadership on strategies that strengthen workforce development and support the center’s efforts toward the Cancer Center Support Grant renewal.
Ruiz is a nationally recognized behavioral medicine scholar whose NIH-funded research explores psychosocial and sociocultural factors in cancer and cardiovascular health, including biobehavioral mechanisms and gaps in health outcomes when comparing demographic groups. His recent work focuses on lung cancer survival in Hispanic populations, contributing significantly to the field's understanding of the Hispanic Health Paradox.
He currently serves as editor-in-chief of the journal Health Psychology (2023–2028) and has held leadership roles across several national organizations, including the Behavioral Medicine Research Council and the American Psychological Association. In 2022, Ruiz was appointed to a four-year term on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
A fellow of multiple scientific societies and a longtime member of the University of Arizona Cancer Center, Ruiz brings extensive experience in workforce development and health care access. His previous role as associate director for recruitment and retention laid the foundation for workforce strategies responsive to the needs of the center’s catchment area demographics.
His leadership will be critical in aligning talent development with the center’s mission to improve health outcomes through cancer research and care.