Dr. Rena Wing is a distinguished medical scientist and leading authority in obesity and diabetes research at Brown University. She currently serves as Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Warren Alpert Medical School and Director of the Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center. After establishing her career in behavioral medicine, Dr. Wing joined the Warren Alpert Medical School in 1998, bringing her expertise in weight management and chronic disease prevention. Over the course of her distinguished career, she has built one of the nation's most comprehensive research programs focused on behavioral interventions for obesity and related health complications. Her leadership has transformed what began as a modest office at Miriam Hospital into a major research enterprise with significant national impact.
Dr. Wing has dedicated over forty years to pioneering research on the prevention and treatment of obesity, authoring more than 600 peer-reviewed scientific publications that have shaped clinical practice worldwide. Her groundbreaking work on the Diabetes Prevention Program developed a lifestyle intervention that successfully reduced the risk of diabetes by 58%, establishing evidence-based approaches now implemented across healthcare systems. As principal investigator for the Miriam Hospital Site of the decade-spanning Look AHEAD study, she investigated how intensive lifestyle intervention could prevent heart disease in individuals with Type 2 Diabetes. Her research has consistently demonstrated that even modest weight loss can yield substantial health benefits, fundamentally changing how clinicians approach obesity management and diabetes prevention in clinical settings.
In recognition of her exceptional contributions, Dr. Wing received the Susan Colver Rosenberger Medal of Honor, Brown University's highest faculty honor, which has been awarded only 35 times since its establishment in 1919. She has built and directed a research center that now encompasses over 50 researchers and staff members, creating a vibrant hub for obesity and diabetes research that occupies its own three-story building near the medical school. Through her mentorship, Dr. Wing has cultivated the next generation of researchers, with many of her early-career protégés now leading nationally recognized programs in obesity and diabetes research. Her work continues to influence public health policy and clinical practice as she explores innovative approaches to delivering cost-effective weight management interventions through community organizations and digital platforms.
