Ray M. Merrill, Ph.D., M.P.H. has been actively involved in epidemiology and biostatisticssince his professional career began in 1995. As a Cancer Prevention Fellow at the National Cancer Institute, he worked with leading researchers in the area of cancer epidemiology. In 1998 he joined the faculty in the Department of Health Science at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, where he continued his research in epidemiology. Since 1999 he has also held an adjunct faculty position in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of Utah. In 2001, he spent a sabbatical working in the Unit of Epidemiology for Cancer Prevention at the International Agency for Research on Cancer Administration, Lyon, France. He has won various awards for his research in cancer epidemiology. Dr. Merrillcurrently teaches introductory and advanced level classes in epidemiology and biostatistics. He has over 100 professional publications in epidemiology and public health journals. He is currently a full professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Brigham Young University.