Michael J. Orlich

Michael J. Orlich, MD, PhD serves as Assistant Professor in both the School of Medicine (Department of Preventive Medicine) and School of Public Health at Loma Linda University, where he also directs the PhD Program in Epidemiology. His academic appointments reflect a dual commitment to clinical preventive medicine and public health research.

His research focuses on nutritional epidemiology within the Adventist Health Study-2 cohort, with particular expertise in vegetarian/vegan diets, cancer epidemiology, and microbiome research. Key investigations include examining relationships between plant-based diets and chronic disease outcomes, dairy consumption and cancer risk, and sunlight exposure effects on mortality. His work consistently leverages the unique dietary patterns of Seventh-day Adventist populations to isolate dietary effects on health outcomes.

Analysis of his 32 publications (2013-2025) reveals dominant themes in cancer epidemiology (particularly prostate and breast cancer), nutritional biochemistry of plant-based diets, and methodological innovations in dietary assessment. Recent work increasingly incorporates metabolomics and epigenetic analyses to understand biological mechanisms linking diet to health outcomes.

His clinical work focuses on obesity treatment and chronic disease prevention at Loma Linda University Health's Center for Health Promotion. He maintains active community engagement through Street Medicine programs serving homeless populations and participates in professional organizations including The Obesity Society and American College of Lifestyle Medicine.