Dr. Kelly Brownell is a distinguished scholar and leader in public health policy with significant contributions to obesity prevention and food policy. He currently serves as the Robert L. Flowers Professor Emeritus of Public Policy at Duke University where he also holds appointments in Psychology and Neuroscience and as Director of the World Food Policy Center. Prior to joining Duke in 2013, he served as Director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University and held the James Rowland Angell Professorship of Psychology. His academic career began at the University of Pennsylvania's medical school in 1977, where he progressed from assistant to full professor. Dr. Brownell earned his PhD and MS from Rutgers University, establishing the foundation for his impactful career at the intersection of clinical psychology and public policy.
Dr. Brownell's pioneering work has fundamentally reshaped the understanding of obesity as a public health crisis requiring systemic policy solutions rather than individual behavior change alone. His research on food policy interventions including taxation of sugary beverages and improved food labeling has directly influenced national and international approaches to combating obesity. He developed the influential toxic food environment framework that explains how modern food environments promote overconsumption through abundance accessibility and marketing of unhealthy foods. Dr. Brownell's scholarship has been instrumental in advising the White House including Michelle Obama's initiatives on childhood obesity and providing testimony before Congress on critical nutrition and health matters. His contributions to the field earned recognition from Time magazine as one of The World's 100 Most Influential People in 2006.
As former Director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity and current Director of the World Food Policy Center Dr. Brownell has cultivated a global network of researchers and policymakers dedicated to creating healthier food systems. He has served as a trusted advisor to numerous governments international health organizations and media leaders translating complex research into actionable policy recommendations. Dr. Brownell's leadership as Dean of Duke's Sanford School of Public Policy from 2013 to 2018 further cemented his reputation as an institution builder with a vision for policy education. His numerous accolades include election to the National Academy of Medicine in 2005 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Psychological Association. Dr. Brownell continues to advance the field through his current work at Duke focusing on developing comprehensive food policies that address both nutrition and environmental sustainability challenges.
