Dr. Frank B. Hu, MD, MPH, PhD

Frank B. Hu, MD, MPH, PhD, works as a physician and nutritional epidemiologist at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, with a career centred on nutritional epidemiology, obesity and type 2 diabetes prevention. He serves as Chair of the Department of Nutrition and Fredrick J. Stare Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology.

His principal interests are dietary patterns and type 2 diabetes risk; obesity epidemiology and prevention; and sugar sweetened beverages and metabolic health. He was elected to the National Academy of Medicine.

Doctors who move into nutrition research produce the studies that underpin national dietary guidance, and many also teach the next generation of clinicians. Dr. Frank Hu is associated above all with nutritional epidemiology, obesity and type 2 diabetes prevention.

Dr. Frank Hu Professional Profile

• Full Name And Credentials: Frank B. Hu, MD, MPH, PhD
• Profession: Physician and nutritional epidemiologist
• Field Of Focus: Nutritional epidemiology, obesity and type 2 diabetes prevention
• Current Position: Chair of the Department of Nutrition and Fredrick J. Stare Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology
• Institution: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School
• Location: Boston, Massachusetts
• Sees Patients: No, this specialist works in research and education

Dr. Frank Hu Degrees And Accreditation

The qualifications below are drawn from the institutional, professional body and publisher sources listed at the end of this profile.

• Medical Degree: MD, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China
• Graduate Degree: MPH, University of Illinois at Chicago
• Doctorate: PhD in epidemiology, University of Illinois at Chicago
• Fellowship: Postdoctoral fellowship in nutritional epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Areas Of Expertise For Dr. Frank Hu

Published professional sources describe the work of Dr. Frank Hu as centred on:

• Dietary patterns and type 2 diabetes risk
• Obesity epidemiology and prevention
• Sugar sweetened beverages and metabolic health
• Diet, the gut microbiome and cardiometabolic risk
• Nutrition transition in low and middle income countries

Dr. Frank Hu Academic And Professional Appointments

• Chair, Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, since January 2017
• Fredrick J. Stare Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology
• Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital
• Director of the Epidemiology and Genetics Core, Boston Nutrition Obesity Research Center
• Co-Director, Program in Obesity Epidemiology and Prevention, Harvard Chan School
• Member of the United States Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee
• Editorial board member for Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, Diabetes Care and Clinical Chemistry

Awards And Scientific Contributions Of Dr. Frank Hu

• Elected to the National Academy of Medicine, 2015
• Boyd Orr Trust Fund Lecturer, The Nutrition Society of the United Kingdom and Ireland, 2022
• Scientific Award Keynote Speaker, Chinese American Medical Society, 2022
• Author of a standard reference text on obesity epidemiology published by Oxford University Press

Dr. Frank Hu Primary Location

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School

Boston, Massachusetts. This is an academic and research base rather than a patient clinic. Enquiries about research, teaching or media are handled by the institution rather than by this directory.

Background On Nutritional Epidemiology

Nutritional epidemiology studies what large groups of people actually eat and what happens to their health over years or decades. Because it is rarely possible to randomise thousands of people to one diet for twenty years, this field relies on careful long term cohorts, repeated dietary measurement and statistical methods that account for confounding. Its strength is scale and real life relevance. Its limit is that it shows association rather than proof, which is why single headline findings should always be read alongside the wider body of evidence.

Other Experts In Nutritional Epidemiology

If you are comparing specialists, these profiles cover closely related areas of nutrition:

• Dr. Junshi Chen, nutrition and food safety science at China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment
• Dr. Mathilde Touvier, nutritional epidemiology at INSERM, the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research, and the Centre of Research in Epidemiology and Statistics
• Dr. Walter Willett, nutritional epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School
• Dr. Carlos Monteiro, ultra processed food research at School of Public Health, University of Sao Paulo

Browse the full dietitian and nutritionist directory for more specialists.

How To Follow The Work Of Dr. Frank Hu

This specialist does not offer individual consultations. Dr. Frank Hu works in research, teaching and public health nutrition. Research, teaching and media enquiries go to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School directly. For personal dietary advice, see a dietitian or nutritionist registered in your own country, or use the enquiry button on this page and we will point you towards a practising specialist in the directory.

Answers To Common Questions About Dr. Frank Hu

What did Dr. Frank Hu study?

MD, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China. Full training details appear in the education section above.

What are the qualifications of Dr. Frank Hu?

Frank B. Hu, MD, MPH, PhD. Full credentials are listed above.

What position does Dr. Frank Hu hold?

Dr. Frank Hu is Chair of the Department of Nutrition and Fredrick J. Stare Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology, based at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School.

What is Nutritional Epidemiology?

Nutritional Epidemiology is the area of nutrition science concerned with nutritional epidemiology, obesity and type 2 diabetes prevention. Specialists working in it, including Dr. Frank Hu, study how diet relates to health and translate those findings into guidance.

Has Dr. Frank Hu received professional recognition?

Yes. Elected to the National Academy of Medicine, 2015. Further awards and distinctions are listed above.

Does Dr. Frank Hu hold leadership roles in the field?

Yes. Chair, Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, since January 2017. A fuller list of appointments appears above.

Primary Sources For The Dr. Frank Hu Profile

• Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health faculty profile
• Harvard Catalyst Profiles research record
• National Academy of Medicine membership

Editorial Review And Last Update For Dr. Frank Hu

This profile was compiled from the public professional sources listed above, including university faculty pages, professional register and society records, journal author statements and publisher biographies. Qualifications, appointments and awards were checked against at least two independent sources where available. Last reviewed on 30 October 2026.

Found something out of date? Contact the Find MD Health editorial team and we will review the entry.

How To Use The Information About Dr. Frank Hu

Information only, not medical or dietary advice, and not a listing for appointments. For individual guidance, see a registered dietitian or your own doctor.