Dr. James O. Hill stands as a preeminent figure in the field of obesity research and nutritional science, currently serving as Director of the NIH-funded Nutrition Obesity Research Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He also holds the position of Professor in the Department of Nutrition Sciences within the UAB School of Health Professions, bringing extensive leadership experience from his tenure as Chair of the Department from 2018 to 2022. Prior to his role at UAB, Dr. Hill held prominent positions at the University of Colorado, where he directed the Colorado Nutrition Obesity Research Center and served as founding executive director of the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center. His academic foundation includes a Doctor of Philosophy in Physiological Psychology from the University of New Hampshire in 1981, following undergraduate studies at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, establishing the groundwork for his distinguished career in metabolic and behavioral research.
Dr. Hill's most significant contribution to the field is his co-founding of the National Weight Control Registry, the largest prospective study of long-term weight loss maintenance as of 2018, which has provided invaluable insights into successful weight management strategies. His research portfolio includes over 650 scientific publications that have fundamentally advanced understanding of the interplay between nutrition, physical activity, and obesity prevention, with continuous NIH funding supporting his work since 1981. In 1998, he received a prestigious NIH MERIT Award recognizing the exceptional quality and impact of his research, and he served as chair of the first World Health Organization Consultation on Obesity in 1997, helping establish global frameworks for addressing the epidemic. His co-founding of America on the Move, a national initiative promoting small lifestyle changes to prevent weight gain, demonstrates his commitment to translating research findings into practical public health interventions that have reached millions of Americans.
Elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2014, Dr. Hill has significantly shaped obesity research policy through leadership roles including past presidency of both the American Society for Nutrition and the Obesity Society. His influential work extends to public education through co-authorship of accessible diet guides including The Step Diet Book and State of Slim, which translate complex nutritional science into practical weight management strategies for the general population. Currently leading a $10.8 million Nutrition for Precision Health study through the NIH's All of Us Research Program, he continues to pioneer innovative approaches to personalized nutrition and obesity treatment. Dr. Hill's enduring legacy lies in establishing methodologies for studying long-term weight management that have become foundational to the field, and his ongoing research promises to further refine precision nutrition approaches that address the complex interplay of biological, behavioral, and environmental factors in obesity.
