Elizabeth Fries, VCU psychology professor and researcher, dies

By Andrea Butler
Massey Cancer Center

Elizabeth Ann Fries, Ph.D., an associate professor with Virginia Commonwealth University’s department of psychology and co-director of cancer control research for the VCU Massey Cancer Center, died May 20 at the VCU Medical Center. She was 42.

Fries died of complications following treatment for breast cancer.

Fries was an active researcher who focused her work on reducing cancer-causing behaviors, such as tobacco use and poor dietary habits, among those who were at risk for cancer. In addition, she was director of research for the VCU Women’s Health Center of Excellence.

“We have lost a great colleague, leader, friend and mentor,” said Steven J. Danish, Ph.D., professor of psychology at VCU. “Liz had quickly established herself as a nationally respected cancer control researcher, and on campus, her love for her work and the knowledge she shared had a positive ripple effect among her students and colleagues.” 

“Liz raised the bar for cancer control research at VCU,” said Dr. Gordon D. Ginder, director of the VCU Massey Cancer Center. “She tackled big issues with a brilliant mind and a noble heart, and we are grateful for her many contributions in expanding cancer control research throughout the Commonwealth and beyond.”

Her studies included increasing mammography use for women, reaching rural residents with innovative nutrition strategies, and helping teens to understand their family health history and risk for cancer, among many other projects. Fries led a statewide study to evaluate programs aimed to discourage tobacco use among children. Sources of funding for her research included the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute, the Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation and the U.S. Army.

Fries earned her B.A. in psychology from the University of Colorado at Boulder and her doctorate from the University of Washington, Seattle. She also had specialized training in survey research from the National Center on Health Statistics and the University of Michigan Survey Research Institute. Prior to joining VCU in 1994, she was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle.

In addition to many grant awards, Fries was published in more than 25 journals. She was a longtime member of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, American Psychological Association and American Public Health Association.

Fries had a great love for all things outdoors, and was an avid and accomplished skier and equestrian.

Fries is survived by her husband, Viktor, and two daughters, Kirsten and Hannah, all of Maidens, Va.; her parents, Sarah and James Fries of Woodside, Ca.; brother, Greg, his wife Catherine, and their three sons Ryan, Connor, and Shane, of Boulder, Co.; and a tight and loving circle of aunts, uncles, and cousins. 

VCU has established the Elizabeth A. Fries Memorial Scholarship Fund in her honor for graduate students in psychology pursuing cancer control research. Contributions to the fund may be sent to: Elizabeth A. Fries Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 842018, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23284.