Christopher Friese

Christopher Friese is the Elizabeth Tone Hosmer Professor of Nursing and Professor of Health Management and Policy at the University of Michigan School of Nursing and School of Public Health, respectively, advancing Health Science through his work in nursing and population health. Appointed Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Affairs in June 2024 for a five-year term, he oversees faculty recruitment, promotion, tenure, and related processes across schools including health sciences, engineering, business, law, and public policy. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1997 and a PhD in 2005 from the University of Pennsylvania, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard School of Public Health in 2008. Joining the University of Michigan in 2008 as an assistant research scientist, he advanced to assistant professor in 2009 and full professor with tenure in 2016. Friese serves as Associate Director for Cancer Control and Population Sciences at the Rogel Cancer Center, inaugural director of the Center for Improving Patient and Population Health, and program director for Cancer Care Delivery Research Training. As a registered nurse and Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse, he continues clinical practice as a staff nurse at the Rogel Cancer Center, specializing in hematological malignancies and advanced cancers.

A national authority on measuring and improving cancer care quality, Friese's health services research examines nursing work environments, quality and safety, and health policy, with seminal studies linking favorable nurse practice environments to reduced surgical mortality. His over 150 peer-reviewed publications in journals including the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and Health Affairs have shaped clinical practice guidelines and federal health policies. Key works include "Hospital nurse practice environments and outcomes for surgical oncology patients" (2008), "Clinical impact of COVID-19 on patients with cancer" (2020), and "Nurses carry substantial student loans: health care workforce implications" (2026, in press). Honors include election to the National Academy of Medicine (2020), Sigma Theta Tau International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame (2022), Oncology Nursing Society Distinguished Researcher Award (2021), Henry Russel Award (2016), Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellowship in the U.S. Senate (2016-2017), and appointment to the National Cancer Advisory Board (2021-2027).

Professional Email: christfr@umich.edu