Elsie Taveras

Elsie Taveras, MD, MPH is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. She serves as Chief of the Division of General Academic Pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital and Executive Director of the Kraft Center for Community Health, leading initiatives to address healthcare disparities and implement community-based interventions.

• MPH, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
• MD, New York University School of Medicine

Research Interests: Dr. Taveras specializes in early life origins of obesity, racial/ethnic health disparities, and health services research. Her work focuses on preventive strategies during critical developmental windows (e.g., the First 1,000 Days Program) and evaluating technology-driven solutions for pediatric weight management.

Recent Highlights: Led a 2023 statewide mobile addiction program protocol and contributed to studies on sleep-obesity correlations (2018), Omega-3 supplements (2021), and digital health tools like the WW Kurbo App (2020). Her research emphasizes community engagement and scalable interventions.

Leadership: Directs the Kraft Center, which received a landmark $50 million gift (2022) to advance health equity. She advocates for patient-centered care models and has shaped clinical guidelines for childhood obesity prevention.