Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH

Dr. Mozaffarian is a cardiologist, public health scientist, and Director of the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University. He is also Distinguished Professor, Dean Emeritus, and Jean Mayer Professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy; Professor of Medicine at Tufts School of Medicine; and attending physician in the Division of Cardiology at Tufts Medical Center. Dr. Mozaffarian’s overall goal is to create the science and translation for a food system that is nutritious, equitable, and sustainable. He is globally renowned expert in Food is Medicine and has authored more than 600 scientific publications on nutritional priorities for cardiometabolic health and on evidence-based policy approaches and innovations to advance nutrition security, reduce diet-related diseases, improve health equity, and reduce healthcare costs in the US and globally. He has served in numerous advisory roles, including on the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, and his work has been featured in an array of media outlets. Thomson Reuters named him as one of the World's Most Influential Scientific Minds. Dr. Mozaffarian received his B.S. in biological sciences from Stanford University, M.D. from Columbia University, and Doctorate in Public Health from Harvard University; with clinical training in internal medicine at Stanford University and in cardiology at the University of Washington. He is married, has three children, and actively trains as a Fourth Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo.

Christopher Gardner, PhD

For more than 30 years, Christopher Gardner, PhD, Rehnborg Farquhar Professor of Medicine at Stanford and nutrition scientist, has been a key faculty member at the Stanford Prevention Research Center where he leads the Stanford Nutrition Studies Research Group. With a PhD in Nutrition Science from UC Berkeley, he has led over 25 human nutrition intervention studies, including trials of Mediterranean, Ketogenic, Vegan, Low-Fat and Low-Carb diets and their effects on cardiometabolic outcomes such as blood lipids, glucose, and inflammation.  He is recognized as a leading expert, both nationally and internationally, on what to consume and avoid for optimal health, and how to best motivate individuals to achieve healthy dietary behaviors. He recently completed a two-year term serving on the 2025 US Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee and is the past chair of the American Heart Association’s Nutrition Committee.  Some of his current interests include stealth nutrition, unapologetic deliciousness, and institutional food settings. He is currently working on personalized nutrition explorations with several colleagues, with particular focus on the gut microbiome. He is frequently consulted by major outlets like The New York Times, CNN, and MSNBC for his expertise. His work was recently featured in the Emmy-awarded docuseries (January 2024) - "You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment."

Bobby Mukkamala, MD

Dr. Bobby Mukkamala a board-certified otolaryngologist—head and neck surgeon—in private practice in his hometown of Flint, Michigan, is the president of the American Medical Association.    A passionate advocate for public health, Dr. Mukkamala is deeply committed to creating a more sustainable health system that better supports physicians and more effectively serves the needs of people and communities. Dr. Mukkamala joined AMA’s Board of Trustees in 2017 and has been active in the AMA and organized medicine since residency. He is a past Michigan representative to the AMA Young Physicians Section, and a past recipient of the AMA Foundation’s “Excellence in Medicine” Leadership Award.   After completing his residency in Chicago, he returned to Flint to set up a private practice dedicated to addressing urgent health needs of the community. He now shares an office with his wife, Dr. Nita Kulkarni, an obstetrician-gynecologist.   Dr. Mukkamala previously served as chair of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint where he guided its focus on funding projects to reduce the effects of lead in children. Today, he continues to serve on the foundation’s committee board as it now works to increase high-quality early education opportunities for children. He also co-chairs efforts of the CRIM fitness foundation to incorporate mindfulness in its efforts to improve community health. And recently joined the board of the CS Mott Foundation headquartered in downtown Flint but doing work across the world to build a just, equitable and sustainable society.