Dr. Mack Ruffin’s research has focused on cancer prevention and control with emphasis on cervical, colorectal and pancreatic cancer. His research spans rural community trials, practice transformation, individual patient clinical trials, early detection biomarkers discovery and validation trials and dissemination studies. He is currently focused on stool microbiome as a screening strategy for colorectal cancer; community and practice intervention to promotion HPV vaccine series initiation and completion; HPV self-sampling as a new strategy to get women to engage in checking for cervical cancer; and validation of new blood, urine and stool markers for screening for colorectal cancer.

Dr. Mack Ruffin is interested in teaching on any topic related to health promotion and disease prevention. He has worked with adolescents, teenagers, young adults, senior adults, health care trainees and workers and community organizations. He is particularly interested in working with community organizations devoted to rural or underserved minority populations.

Dr. Mack Ruffin's current clinical interests include discovery and validation of new markers for the early detection of colorectal cancer, especially those linked to stool, saliva and microbiome. His goal is to replace the current non-invasive screening strategies (stool testing) and invasive testing (colonoscopy) for colorectal cancer with better-performing and patient-acceptable non-invasive screening tests.

Fellow, Association of Departments of Family Medicine, 2014

Member, American Association for Cancer Research, 2000 to present

Member, American Society of Preventive Oncology, 1990 to present

Member, North American Primary Care Research Group, 1987 to present

Board-certified in family medicine, American Board of Family Medicine, 1987 to present