Brian D. Elbel, MPH, PhD

I am Professor of Population Health and Health Policy in the Department of Population Health and Associate Dean, Research Mission Strategy and Administration at NYU Langone Health. I examine how policies and the environment influence health and health behaviors, particularly obesity and chronic disease. I use statistical and econometric methods and diverse data sources, including administrative, sales and other data, to understand health outcomes. Throughout my research, I am motivated to understand how social determinants create differences in outcomes across race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status, and how policy can be leveraged to reduce these differences.

I have investigated the role of the food environment and the built environment, including neighborhoods, on childhood obesity; spearheaded evaluations of place-based efforts to improve community health; and examined the health and education of New York City’s public school children during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. I study the impact of several public policies on health, including:

• policies mandating calorie labeling in restaurants
• policies taxing purchases of sugary beverages
• food policies in schools
• New York City’s one-time proposal of limiting the size of sugar-sweetened beverages served in restaurants
• policies supporting the development of supermarkets in high-need areas

I also serve as director of the Section on Health Choice, Policy and Evaluation in the Department of Population Health and on the faculty of NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.