Dr. Michael Alavanja is a senior investigator in the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and
Genetics at the National Cancer Institute and a Captain in the U.S. Public Health Service. He designed the Agricultural Health Study (AHS) and has been the Principal Investigator and Project Officer of the study since its inception in 1993. Dr. Alavanja has received 12 awards from the U.S. Public Health Service including the distinguished Meritorious Service Award for his work in the conception, development, and execution of the AHS. He has also received awards for his
work on assessing lung cancer risk from second-hand smoke and domestic radon exposure. Dr.
Alavanja has served on a number of expert committees for the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He is a Fellow of the
American College of Epidemiology and a member of their Board of Directors.