Ruth Rechis, PhD

Ruth Rechis is the Chief Prevention Officer for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), where she leads the Prevention Program, which fosters collaboration and funds evidence-based interventions aimed at reducing the cancer burden across the state. Since its inception, the CPRIT Prevention Program has supported 11 million prevention services reaching all 254 counties in Texas. Prior to joining CPRIT, Rechis served as the Executive Director for the Cancer Prevention and Control Platform at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. In this role, Rechis established and led initiatives with her team focused on place-based investments, health systems strengthening, and impact evaluation, which aimed to reduce cancer incidence and improve health outcomes at the population level. Prior to joining MD Anderson, Rechis was the Vice President of the Mission and Strategy for the LIVESTRONG Foundation, where she worked on all mission-related initiatives, including establishing and leading the Office of Evaluation and Research. She holds a Ph.D. in educational psychology from The University of Texas at Austin, has authored numerous publications and reports, and has spoken to scientific and lay audiences on topics such as community engagement, program evaluation, and cancer prevention and survivorship, as well as on her own experience as a 30+ year cancer survivor.