Thomas B. Richards, MD

Thomas B. Richards, MD, is a medical officer in the Epidemiology and Applied Research Branch in CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control. Dr. Richards graduated from the University of California at San Francisco Medical School in 1969. He completed the requirements for a master’s degree in public health at the University of California at Los Angeles School of Public Health in 1976 and was certified by the American Board of Preventive Medicine in 1983.

Dr. Richards has been with the Epidemiology and Applied Research Branch since 1999. Prior CDC assignments have been with the Division of Respiratory Disease Studies at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (1982 to 1990) and the Division of Public Health Systems at the CDC Public Health Practice Program Office (1990 to 1999).

His current research areas of interest include analyses of national surveys about cancer prevention and control, and analyses of cancer registry data linked with Medicare claims.

Some of the most recent articles Dr. Richards has first-authored include—

• 2019 Lung cancer screening inconsistent with U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations.
• 2017 Lung cancer survival in the United States by race and stage (2001–2009): findings from the CONCORD-2 study.
• 2014 Lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography for primary care providers.
• 2012 Prostate cancer screening practices of African-American and non-African-American U.S. primary care physicians: a cross-sectional survey.
• 2011 Association between cutaneous melanoma incidence rates among white U.S. residents and county-level estimates of solar ultraviolet exposure.