Dr. Ronald M. Krauss is a distinguished medical researcher whose work has profoundly shaped our understanding of lipoprotein metabolism and cardiovascular disease risk. He currently serves as Senior Scientist and Dolores Jordan Endowed Chair at Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Professor of Medicine at UCSF, and Adjunct Professor of Nutritional Sciences at UC Berkeley. A Harvard-educated physician, Dr. Krauss earned his undergraduate degree magna cum laude in 1964 and his medical degree cum laude in 1968 from Harvard University, followed by internship and residency training on the Harvard Medical Service of Boston City Hospital. His early career included significant contributions at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute where he served as Clinical Associate and later as Senior Investigator in the Molecular Disease Branch.
Dr. Krauss has published over 450 research articles and reviews with more than 100,000 citations, establishing him as a leading authority in the field of cardiovascular metabolism. His pioneering research program focuses on the complex interactions between genetic, dietary, and drug treatments that affect plasma lipoproteins and coronary artery disease risk, challenging conventional wisdom about dietary fats and carbohydrates. He has made seminal contributions to our understanding of lipoprotein particle size and composition as cardiovascular risk factors, with his work on LDL cholesterol subfractions becoming particularly influential. His research has sparked important debates about dietary guidelines, particularly regarding saturated fat consumption and its relationship to heart disease risk. Dr. Krauss has served on the U.S. National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults, helping shape clinical practice guidelines used worldwide.
As a Fellow of the American Society of Nutrition and the American Heart Association (AHA) and a Distinguished Fellow of the International Atherosclerosis Society, Dr. Krauss has significantly influenced cardiovascular research directions and nutritional science policy. He founded and served as the inaugural Chair of the AHA Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism, establishing a critical platform for interdisciplinary research in these areas. His service extends to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, where he contributed to the Committee on Dietary Recommended Intakes for Macronutrients and the Committee on Biomarkers of Chronic Disease. Dr. Krauss has received numerous prestigious honors including the AHA Scientific Councils Distinguished Achievement Award, the Centrum Center For Nutrition Science Award of the American Society for Nutrition, and the AHA National Award of Meritorious Achievement, recognizing his enduring contributions to advancing cardiovascular health through scientific discovery.
