Dear colleagues,
We are writing to share new and important leadership transitions in the School of Public Health.
It gives us enormous pleasure to announce that Christopher Kahler Ph.D., Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, and Chair of Behavioral and Social Sciences, will become the next director of the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies (CAAS). In addition, Katie Biello Ph.D., Vice Chair of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Associate Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences, and Associate Professor of Epidemiology, will become the interim chair of the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSS). These new positions are effective July 1, 2023.
The appointment of Professor Kahler as the CAAS Center Director follows an extensive national search following Peter Monti's decision to step down in September 2022. Professor Kahler has been part of the core faculty at CAAS for more than 20 years. His research portfolio at the Center spans more than two decades of continuous funding as a principal investigator and co-investigator on more than 60 NIH grants. He is extraordinarily well-positioned for this role, given his expertise across academic missions, his collaborative approach to problem-solving, and his commitment to research excellence.
In the director role, Professor Kahler will provide leadership and vision for planning and executing CAAS’s research agenda, including strengthening systems for preparing and implementing research initiatives and attaining funding. He will also represent the Center within the School’s research planning initiatives and relevant University Committees.
Professor Kahler, a Brown graduate, began his academic career in 1998 as an investigator in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior and became the inaugural chair of BSS in 2011. Since 2011, the department has grown from just over 20 full-time primary faculty members to more than 60, and the department has launched both master's and doctoral programs. A fellow of the American Psychological Association, Professor Kahler has won both teaching and mentoring awards at Brown and has contributed to numerous grant review panels, editorial boards, and school and departmental committees, exemplifying his commitment to service, mentoring, and teaching.
As Professor Kahler moves on to this new role with CAAS, we are fortunate to have Professor Biello step into the role of interim department chair of BSS. A graduate of Connecticut College, Professor Biello continued her studies at Boston University and Yale, receiving an MPH and Ph.D., respectively. Following her studies, she completed post-graduate training at Harvard and Fenway Health.
Professor Biello arrived at Brown in 2015 as an assistant professor of BSS after having faculty appointments at Boston University and the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. She has been serving as Vice Chair of the department since 2020. Professor Biello's research, supported by more than 20 NIH grants in her career, focuses on understanding and intervening in the complex, multi-level risk factors for HIV acquisition and transmission risk among sexual, gender, and racial minorities and individuals in resource-limited settings worldwide. She has also been at the forefront of research on biobehavioral HIV prevention for people who use drugs in the U.S. She has been highly involved in mentoring doctoral students in BSS and has served on a wide range of department, school, and University Committees.
We are grateful for these two outstanding leaders and their willingness to take the helm to advance the School’s mission. Please join us in congratulating Professors Kahler and Biello on their new roles.
Sincerely,
Ronald Aubert Ph.D., MSPH
Interim Dean, School of Public Health
Megan L. Ranney M.D., MPH
Deputy Dean, School of Public Health