Penny Gordon-Larsen

Penny Gordon-Larsen is the W. R. Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor in Nutrition and Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH). She has been affiliated with UNC-CH since 1998, joining the faculty in 2002. Her academic roles include leadership in the Gillings School of Global Public Health, where she previously served as Associate Dean for Research and expanded the school’s funding by 61%. As Vice Chancellor for Research, she oversees a $1.12 billion research enterprise, managing interdisciplinary initiatives, infrastructure, and strategic partnerships.

• Education: BA in Anthropology/Psychology (Tulane, 1989), PhD in Human Biology (University of Pennsylvania, 1997).
• Research Focus: Obesity, cardiometabolic diseases, and their interactions with environmental, genetic, and behavioral factors. Leads the Obesity Creativity Hub, a transdisciplinary project involving 27 faculty across 16 departments.

Her research highlights include NIH-funded studies on obesity’s genetic and societal determinants, with over $23.6M as PI and $49.1M as co-PI. Notable projects include investigating urbanization’s impact on gut microbiota and metabolic health in China, and analyzing disparities in obesity outcomes through the CARDIA study.

Publications span over 270 peer-reviewed articles, cited 103,000+ times (h-index 86). Awards include the George A. Bray Founders Award (2020) and leadership roles in The Obesity Society and NIH advisory councils. She also chairs the Obesity Hub, which seeks precision approaches to combat obesity heterogeneity.

• Labs/Teams: Gordon-Larsen Lab, Obesity Creativity Hub.
• Grants & Funding: Over $72.7M in NIH grants, leading multi-institutional collaborations.