Christopher Gardner

Christopher Gardner serves as the Rehnborg Farquhar Professor of Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine and directs both the Stanford Prevention Research Center’s (SPRC) Nutrition Studies Group and its postdoctoral research fellow training program.

His research spans Nutrition Science and Public Health, with foundational work in randomized controlled trials examining dietary interventions (soy, garlic, antioxidants, vegetarian diets) for Chronic Disease Prevention. Recent work pivots toward Food Systems research—addressing institutional food quality in universities and hospitals—and explores non-health motivators for dietary change including Animal Welfare, Climate Change, and Social Justice. This evolution reflects a shift from individual behavior modification to systemic institutional interventions using community-based participatory approaches.

Gardner's work leverages Stanford's interdisciplinary strengths across medicine, business, education, law, and earth sciences. His Nutrition Studies Group trains postdoctoral fellows in cutting-edge methodologies while implementing food system improvements in real-world settings through cross-departmental collaboration.