School of Nursing

David Olds is a professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado-Denver and director of the Prevention Research Center for Family & Child Health. He is the developer of the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP), which has proven to be one of most impactful evidence-based preventative interventions in the world. In NFP, nurses visit expecting and new mothers who are experiencing social and economic disadvantage. This intervention has become the standard bearer for prevention science by empowering mothers with the knowledge and skills to promote their child’s healthy development while fostering lifelong success. NFP has revolutionized preventive healthcare services internationally, beginning in the United States where it has served hundreds of thousands of families. 

Globally, Dr. Olds has engaged with policy makers to expand NFP to several countries including Bulgaria and Norway where he has made key presentations to government leaders. In Canada, he collaborated with researchers from McMaster’s School of Nursing and the Offord Centre for Child Studies to pilot our nation’s first NFP program. The impact of his innovation and advocacy has since inspired new NFP initiatives from British Columbia to Nova Scotia.  

Before arriving at the University of Colorado-Denver three decades ago, Dr. Olds held academic appointments at Cornell University and the University of Rochester. He has also served on a wide range of committees and advisory panels including the board of directors for the Society for Prevention Research; the Advisory Committee Measuring Social Benefits for the Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy in Washington, DC; and the National Impact Evaluation Advisory Panel for the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children, Youth and Families. 

In recognition of his innovative research and its influence, Dr. Olds has received more than 20 awards internationally, including the Stockholm Prize in Criminology and the John Stearns Medal for Distinguished Contributions to Clinical Practice from the New York Academy of Medicine. He was also named the inaugural fellow of the Society for Prevention Research.