David Wetter has devoted his career to helping connect communities to healthcare resources as a Professor in Population Health Science and Adjunct Professor in Psychology and as the Director of the Center for Health Outcomes and Population Equity (HOPE). He listens to communities, understands their challenges, and develops tailored interventions that have tangible, positive effects on individual lives and changes how healthcare is delivered. He established Huntsman Cancer Institute’s (HCI) first 38-member Community Advisory Board to guide cancer advocacy, state cancer plans, outreach, education, and research efforts across the Mountain West and serves as the Senior Director for Cancer Health Equity Science at HCI, as well as Director of Community and Stakeholder Engagement at the Clinical and Translational Science Institute.

His work has developed deep and robust partnerships that bring together community health centers (CHCs), primary care associations (PCAs), state departments of health, state cancer coalitions, schools, and additional healthcare systems to address critical state, regional, and national priorities related to public health (tobacco, colorectal cancer screening, HPV vaccination, cancer survivorship, opioids, obesity, lung cancer screening, and COVID-19). He has secured more than $52 million in funding from prestigious organizations like the NIH, CDC, PCORI and the American Cancer Society to support these efforts. This work is implemented in safety-net healthcare systems across the Mountain West, whose patients are diverse (52% Latino, 8% Native American; 40% best served in a language other than English) and of low socioeconomic status (55% living below the federal poverty level and 42% uninsured). His leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic saw his team reach over 110,000 CHC patients with testing and vaccination messaging and guidance to address urgent needs. His innovations in synergizing chronic disease prevention and control efforts are nationally recognized as best practices by the CDC and the North American Quitline Consortium.

He’s received awards from the Society of Behavioral Medicine (both young investigator and senior investigator awards), American Society for Preventive Oncology (lifetime achievement award), Society for Health Psychology (young investigator award), and the AstraZeneca/Scientific American Catalyst for Equity Award which recognizes those who are working to create optimal care and access for all.