Dr. Wilson Compton and HHS Secretary Kathleen SebeliusDr. Wilson Compton, director of NIDA’s Division of Epidemiology, Services and Prevention Research, was one of ten people to receive the Health and Human Services Secretary’s Award for Meritorious Service, which recognizes employees for their sustained excellence and for inspiring others to improve their performance. Awards were presented on October 31st during a ceremony that recognized 35 groups or individual employees in five award categories for their achievements in 2012. Dr. Compton was recognized for outstanding cross-agency collaborations, linking NIDA with the multiple Health and Human Services and outside agencies to reduce tobacco use and prescription drug abuse, and to improve substance abuse prevention and treatment systems.
At NIDA, Dr. Compton manages a complex research program addressing the extent and causes of drug abuse and addiction; the development of prevention strategies; as well as research into how to organize, finance and implement services to best treat addiction. He has also been leading an effort jointly sponsored by NIDA and the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products to field a large scale longitudinal population study to assess the impact of new tobacco regulations. Dr. Compton has also been a member of the DSM-5 Task Force and the Substance Use Disorders Workgroup for the past five years.
For more information on Dr. Compton, see www.drugabuse.gov/about-nida/organization/divisions/division-epidemiology-services-prevention-research-despr/office-director-od.
For more information, contact the NIDA press office at media@nida.nih.gov or 301-443-6245.