Lester Breslow Distinguished Lecture Series

About Lester Breslow and the Lester Breslow Distinguished Lecture

Often referred to as “Mr. Public Health,” Dr. Lester Breslow was among the first to quantify the health benefits/risks and associations with life expectancy of exercise, diet, sleep, and smoking. Breslow is credited with helping to expand the definition of public health beyond the historical concentration on communicable disease to include individual behavior and the effects of community and environment.

Breslow served as dean of the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health from 1972 to 1980, and professor of health services for 42 years. During his distinguished career, he also served as president of the American Public Health Association, Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, and International Epidemiological Association; director of the California Public Health Department; and adviser to six presidential administrations. He wrote more than 200 scientific publications, and was founding editor of The Annual Review of Public Health and The Encyclopedia of Public Health.  

The UCLA Fielding School of Public Health established the Lester Breslow Distinguished Lecture in 1974, and has welcomed as distinguished lecturers many important public health leaders through the decades.

Click here to view a list of past speakers.

View Past Lectures

Recordings of the Lester Breslow Distinguished Lectures are available on the school’s YouTube channel.