Childhood obesity expert named chair of public health department

Terry Huang, Ph.D.

Terry Huang Ph.D., takes a different approach to the worldwide epidemic of childhood obesity.

“I’m very interested in the interactions between biological, social, economic and environmental factors and how they impact the health of individuals and populations,” said Dr. Huang, who also has a master’s degree in public health.

More on Dr. Huang Education Ph.D. in preventive medicine, University of South California (USC) Masters in public health in applied epidemiology and biostatistics, USC. Previous positions Director of the obesity research strategic core at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; One of five senior advisers on obesity science and policy at the NIH; and Member of the White House committee on childhood obesity that led to the White House childhood obesity campaign announced earlier this year]. Dr Huang also continues to advise the NIH on strategic obesity initiatives and partnerships.

“There are pieces of information about childhood obesity from each of those domains. But we haven’t been successful at connecting the dots and examining how all of the factors interact and contribute to health outcomes.”

His approach to this problem and his national reputation in childhood obesity are two of the reasons why he was named chairman of the UNMC College of Public Health’s Department of Health Promotion, Social and Behavioral Health.

“Dr. Huang brings tremendous experience not only in his area of expertise but also as a public health professional,” said Ayman El-Mohandes, M.B.B.Ch., M.D., M.P.H., dean of UNMC’s College of Public Health. “He will no doubt raise the level of focus on solutions to prevent disease and improve health outcomes.”

Dr. Huang’s areas of expertise include:

• Science and policy of pediatric obesity;
  
• Systems science in public health;
  
• International and cross-cultural health;
  
• Body composition and metabolic health; and
  
• Dietary patterns and obesity.

“We have to make healthy lifestyles the easy default in everyday life,” he said. “That’s the only way to have a strategy that is long-term and effective in combating obesity.”