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Dr. Joel Gittelsohn is a Professor in the Center for Human Nutrition and the Global Obesity Prevention Center, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Gittelsohn is a public health nutritionist, who for 26 years has focused on developing, implementing and evaluating community-based programs for the primary prevention of chronic disease in disadvantaged ethnic minority populations. With 230 publications in peer-reviewed journals, Dr. Gittelsohn has led multiple food source-centered intervention trials aimed at improving the food environment and providing skills and nutrition education needed to support healthy food choices in the Marshall Islands, in American Indian/First Nations communities, in Baltimore City, and for Native Hawaiian communities. Dr. Gittelsohn developed a multi-institutional program for diabetes prevention in 7 First Nations in schools and food stores, which was extended to five American Indian communities (OPREVENT) and included worksites. He is currently implementing a multi-level program for child obesity prevention in Baltimore City, working with policymakers, recreation centers, corner stores, carryouts, families and via social media. These programs have shown success in increasing knowledge, healthy food purchasing and consumption of healthy promoted foods at the consumer level, in reducing obesity, and in improving stocking and sales at the retail level.