Dr. Michael Harris named American Diabetes Association’s 2017 Rubin Award recipient
June 12, 2017
Michael Harris, Ph.D., professor of pediatrics, OHSU School of Medicine, was selected for the American Diabetes Association's 2017 Richard R. Rubin Award.
The award recognizes a behavioral researcher who has made outstanding, innovative contributions to the study and understanding of the behavioral aspects of diabetes in diverse populations. Dr. Harris was recognized with this honor during the association's 77th Scientific Sessions, June 9-13, at the San Diego Convention Center. He delivered the Richard R. Rubin Award Lecture titled, "Your Exclusion, My Inclusion: Treating the Most Challenging in Diabetes," on June 10.
Dr. Harris is recognized for significant contributions that have improved the lives of youth with type 1 diabetes. Previously, Dr. Harris held a faculty appointment in the Department of Pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri for 13 years.
Dr. Harris was the primary developer of the Diabetes Self-Management Profile (DSMP), now considered the gold standard for assessing regimen adherence in youth with type 1 diabetes. He was instrumental in development and dissemination of the Behavioral Family Systems Therapy-Diabetes (BFST-D), an empirically validated behavioral intervention for improving adherence and glycemic control. He also conducted the first research to demonstrate the effectiveness of teleconferencing technology to deliver behavioral interventions to individuals with diabetes and their families.
"Dr. Harris's career has provided us with concrete tools that have set the standard in behavioral aspects of diabetes," said the association's President of Health Care and Education Brenda Montgomery, R.N., M.S.H.S., C.D.E. "Congratulations to Dr. Harris on this achievement, and thank you for improving the lives of people with diabetes."
Dr. Harris also developed and validated the nationally recognized Novel Interventions in Children's Healthcare (NICH) to improve care and reduce the unnecessary hospitalization of children and adolescents with chronic health conditions, such as diabetes. Beyond his research efforts, his teaching, mentoring and collaborations exemplify his dedicated service to the field.