Office
240A Sanford Building, Box 90245
Durham, NC 27708
Box90245
Durham, NC 27708
Phone
(919) 613-7397
Kelly D. Brownell
Director of the World Food Policy Center
Robert L. Flowers Distinguished Professor of Public Policy
Director of the World Food Policy Center
Professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy
Professor
Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience
Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Affiliate, Duke Global Health Institute
Member of the Duke Cancer Institute
Areas of Expertise
- Food Policy
Education
Ph.D., Rutgers University (1977)
M.S., Rutgers University (1975)
B.S., Purdue University (1973)
Kelly Brownell breaks down why soda taxes are becoming a public health tool. (Animated)
Podcast about Kelly Brownell's new World Food Policy Center:
Brownell breaks down the soda tax in this Policy 360 podcast:
In The News
Awards and Honors
Bio
Kelly Brownell is the Robert L. Flowers Professor of Public Policy, a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, and Director of the World Food Policy Center at the Sanford School of Public Policy. He served as dean of the Sanford School fron 2013-2018.
In 2006 Time magazine listed Brownell among “The World’s 100 Most Influential People” in its special Time 100 issue featuring those “.. whose power, talent or moral example is transforming the world.”
Brownell was elected to membership in the Institute of Medicine in 2006 and has received numerous awards and honors for his work, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Psychological Association, Graduate Mentoring Award from Yale, the James McKeen Cattell Award from the New York Academy of Sciences, the Distinguished Alumni Award from Purdue University, the Lifetime Achievement Award from Rutgers University, and the Distinguished Scientific Award for the Applications of Psychology from the American Psychological Association.
Prior to joining the faculty at Duke, Brownell was at Yale University where he was the James Rowland Angell Professor of Psychology, professor of epidemiology and public health, and director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. While at Yale he served as chair of the department of psychology and as master of Silliman College.
Brownell has published 15 books and more than 350 scientific articles and chapters. He has served as president of several national organizations, including the Society of Behavioral Medicine, Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy and the Division of Health Psychology of the American Psychological Association.
Brownell has advised the White House, members of congress, governors, world health and nutrition organizations, and media leaders on issues of nutrition, obesity and public policy. He was cited as a “moral entrepreneur” with special influence on public discourse in a history of the obesity field and was cited by Time magazine as a leading “warrior” in the area of nutrition and public policy.
In 2006 Time magazine listed Brownell among “The World’s 100 Most Influential People” in its special Time 100 issue featuring those “.. whose power, talent or moral example is transforming the world.”
Brownell was elected to membership in the Institute of Medicine in 2006 and has received numerous awards and honors for his work, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Psychological Association, Graduate Mentoring Award from Yale, the James McKeen Cattell Award from the New York Academy of Sciences, the Distinguished Alumni Award from Purdue University, the Lifetime Achievement Award from Rutgers University, and the Distinguished Scientific Award for the Applications of Psychology from the American Psychological Association.
Prior to joining the faculty at Duke, Brownell was at Yale University where he was the James Rowland Angell Professor of Psychology, professor of epidemiology and public health, and director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. While at Yale he served as chair of the department of psychology and as master of Silliman College.
Brownell has published 15 books and more than 350 scientific articles and chapters. He has served as president of several national organizations, including the Society of Behavioral Medicine, Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy and the Division of Health Psychology of the American Psychological Association.
Brownell has advised the White House, members of congress, governors, world health and nutrition organizations, and media leaders on issues of nutrition, obesity and public policy. He was cited as a “moral entrepreneur” with special influence on public discourse in a history of the obesity field and was cited by Time magazine as a leading “warrior” in the area of nutrition and public policy.
Representative Publications
Primer on US Food and Nutrition Policy and Public Health: Food Assistance. American Journal of Public Health (07/2019)
Primer on US Food and Nutrition Policy and Public Health: Food Sustainability. American Journal of Public Health (07/2019)
Primer on US Food and Nutrition Policy and Public Health: Protect School Nutrition Standards. American Journal of Public Health (07/2019)
Grappling With Complex Food Systems to Reduce Obesity: A US Public Health Challenge. Public Health Reports (Washington, D.C. : 1974) (11/2018)
Sports Sponsorships of Food and Nonalcoholic Beverages. Pediatrics (04/2018)
Selected Grants
Impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on the North Carolina food system (Principal Investigator)
Assessing the Viability and Forms of a Potential SDG2 Leaders Alliance (Principal Investigator)
Rural Child Hunger Faith Community Engagement Project (Principal Investigator)
External Financing Landscape for Agriculture Development (Principal Investigator)
World Policy Center Grant (Principal Investigator)
Black North Carolina Youth Pipeline to Food & Agriculture-Driven Health Improvement (Principal Investigator)
World Food Policy Center Capacity & Rural NC Project (Principal Investigator)
Launching a World Food Policy Center (Principal Investigator)
To fund a planning grant for a world food policy center (Principal Investigator)