Dr. Albert Stunkard was a world renowned psychiatrist and Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Born in 1922, he joined the Department of Psychiatry at Penn in 1957 and served as its distinguished Chair from 1962 to 1973. He then served as Chair of Psychiatry at Stanford University from 1973 to 1976 before returning to Penn to continue his pioneering work. During his illustrious career at Penn, he established himself as a visionary leader in obesity research and was honored as the inaugural holder of the Kenneth E. Appel Professorship of Psychiatry.
Dr. Stunkard's groundbreaking research program was among the first to demonstrate that genetics plays a significant role in obesity and that traditional dieting approaches typically fail, transforming the scientific understanding of weight management. His seminal work spanning more than five decades established critical connections between obesity and psychosocial factors including socioeconomic status, stigma, and mood disorders, fundamentally reshaping the field. He pioneered the study of behavioral therapy and medical treatments for weight control, opening new, kinder and more effective paths for managing obesity for millions of people worldwide. Dr. Stunkard's scientific contributions also included the identification and characterization of two eating disorders associated with obesity: binge eating disorder and night eating syndrome.
Dr. Stunkard's monumental contributions earned him numerous prestigious honors including election to the National Academy of Medicine, widely regarded as one of the highest distinctions in health and medicine. He received the Distinguished Service Award from the American Psychiatric Association and the Sarnat International Prize from the Academy of Medicine, cementing his legacy as a transformative figure in medical science. His enduring influence continues through the Albert J. Stunkard Professorship of Psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine, which commemorates his multi-faceted achievements as a researcher, physician and leader. Widely celebrated as the worldwide dean of obesity research, his pioneering work has profoundly shaped the field and continues to influence research and clinical practice decades after his passing.
