Public Health Heroes Awards Ceremony

Dean Ornish M.D., for his work as a researcher, public educator, and change agent regarding the role of diet and lifestyle and its impact on heart disease.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will introduce Dean Ornish through a special video presentation.

One of LIFE magazine's "50 most influential members of his generation," Dean Ornish is the founder, president, and director of the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California, where he holds the Bucksbaum Chair. For the past 25 years, Ornish has directed clinical research demonstrating, for the first time, that comprehensive lifestyle changes may begin to reverse even severe coronary heart disease, without drugs or surgery. He is the author of five best-selling books, including New York Times bestsellers Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease; Eat More, Weigh Less; and Love & Survival. He recently directed the first randomized controlled trial demonstrating that comprehensive lifestyle changes may affect the progression of prostate cancer.

Ornish is clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. His research has been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, The Lancet, Circulation, The New England Journal of Medicine, the American Journal of Cardiology, as well as in other respected publications. Recognized nationally for his work in preventative medicine and heart disease, his work has been featured on the PBS series, Healing & the Mind, and NOVA created a documentary of his and his colleagues' work. He has been featured in Newsweek, Time, and U.S. News & World Report. Ornish has a regular column in Reader's Digest magazine and in Newsweek.

He was trained in internal medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and Massachusetts General Hospital. Ornish has a bachelor's degree in humanities summa cum laude from the University of Texas in Austin. Throughout his career he has received many honors and awards, including a Presidential Citation from the American Psychological Association, the Jan J. Kellermann Memorial Award for distinguished contribution in the field of cardiovascular disease prevention from the International Academy of Cardiology, and the "Pioneer in Integrative Medicine" award from California Pacific Medical Center. He is a physician consultant to many members of Congress and to the White House. Ornish serves on the board of directors for many organizations, including U.S. United Nations High Commission on Refugees, the Quincy Jones Foundation, and the San Francisco Food Bank. His current research focuses on the effects of lifestyle change on gene expression.

Award Presenter

Nancy Pelosi is the 60th Speaker of the House of Representatives and the first woman ever to hold the office. She has held the position of house minority leader and has been the representative of the Eighth District of California since 1987. As Speaker of the House, Pelosi is next in line for the presidency after Vice President Richard Cheney. Pelosi has a longstanding record of supporting health care initiatives and working on legislation designed to protect vulnerable populations. She created the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS program; has worked to increase funding for programs that support people with HIV/AIDS and to accelerate research into an HIV vaccine; fought to maintain health care for people with disabilities and to increase funding for health research; defeated attempts to reduce funding for international family planning programs; and voted to increase Medicare and Medicaid benefits.

The Challenge: Creating a Healthier Lifestyle

What happens if your doctor diagnoses you with a chronic health condition, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, or Type II diabetes? Typically your doctor would prescribe medications to help you manage the problem. However, protecting your health involves more than taking pills. We are fortunate to live in an age when a wealth of information is available about how to take care ourselves. Maintaining a healthy diet, quitting smoking, and engaging in regular physical activity have all been shown to improve the prognosis for many people with serious medical conditions.

Beyond managing health problems, maintaining a healthy lifestyle can minimize the risks of developing diseases. When nutrition and exercise information are available, people are empowered to take charge of their own lives. Educating parents and children can improve the health outcomes of future generations. Ensuring that everyone has access to healthy foods—especially fruits and vegetables—and to areas where they can walk, bicycle, play basketball, or otherwise be active, will help reduce the terrible burden chronic health conditions place on individuals, families, and society as a whole.

The School of Public Health Responds

Researchers at the School have developed interventions to improve the health of communities and have evaluated the effectiveness of those interventions. Some projects include:

The University of California, Berkeley, Wellness Letter and its associated web site, wellnessletter.com, help provide more than 350,000 readers with current, balanced information on a range of health topics. By enlisting the top researchers at the School and around the world, the Wellness Letter takes the latest research in nutrition, mental health, emotional wellbeing, and physical activity, and translates it into analysis and practical advice for a lay audience.

Working with city planners and officials, researchers seek to improve the "built environment," making cities and suburbs more conducive to physical activity.

The Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Center for Weight and Health studies the impact of nutrition interventions on a variety of populations, including children in schools and ethnic groups hit hardest by obesity.


2007 National Hero - Dean Ornish, M.D.		Related Links Preventive Medicine Research Institute Ornish profile: WebMD
Dean Ornish M.D., for his work as a researcher, public educator, and change agent regarding the role of diet and lifestyle and its impact on heart disease. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will introduce Dean Ornish through a special video presentation. One of LIFE magazine's "50 most influential members of his generation," Dean Ornish is the founder, president, and director of the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California, where he holds the Bucksbaum Chair. For the past 25 years, Ornish has directed clinical research demonstrating, for the first time, that comprehensive lifestyle changes may begin to reverse even severe coronary heart disease, without drugs or surgery. He is the author of five best-selling books, including New York Times bestsellers Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease; Eat More, Weigh Less; and Love & Survival. He recently directed the first randomized controlled trial demonstrating that comprehensive lifestyle changes may affect the progression of prostate cancer. Ornish is clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. His research has been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, The Lancet, Circulation, The New England Journal of Medicine, the American Journal of Cardiology, as well as in other respected publications. Recognized nationally for his work in preventative medicine and heart disease, his work has been featured on the PBS series, Healing & the Mind, and NOVA created a documentary of his and his colleagues' work. He has been featured in Newsweek, Time, and U.S. News & World Report. Ornish has a regular column in Reader's Digest magazine and in Newsweek. He was trained in internal medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and Massachusetts General Hospital. Ornish has a bachelor's degree in humanities summa cum laude from the University of Texas in Austin. Throughout his career he has received many honors and awards, including a Presidential Citation from the American Psychological Association, the Jan J. Kellermann Memorial Award for distinguished contribution in the field of cardiovascular disease prevention from the International Academy of Cardiology, and the "Pioneer in Integrative Medicine" award from California Pacific Medical Center. He is a physician consultant to many members of Congress and to the White House. Ornish serves on the board of directors for many organizations, including U.S. United Nations High Commission on Refugees, the Quincy Jones Foundation, and the San Francisco Food Bank. His current research focuses on the effects of lifestyle change on gene expression. Award Presenter Nancy Pelosi is the 60th Speaker of the House of Representatives and the first woman ever to hold the office. She has held the position of house minority leader and has been the representative of the Eighth District of California since 1987. As Speaker of the House, Pelosi is next in line for the presidency after Vice President Richard Cheney. Pelosi has a longstanding record of supporting health care initiatives and working on legislation designed to protect vulnerable populations. She created the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS program; has worked to increase funding for programs that support people with HIV/AIDS and to accelerate research into an HIV vaccine; fought to maintain health care for people with disabilities and to increase funding for health research; defeated attempts to reduce funding for international family planning programs; and voted to increase Medicare and Medicaid benefits. The Challenge: Creating a Healthier Lifestyle What happens if your doctor diagnoses you with a chronic health condition, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, or Type II diabetes? Typically your doctor would prescribe medications to help you manage the problem. However, protecting your health involves more than taking pills. We are fortunate to live in an age when a wealth of information is available about how to take care ourselves. Maintaining a healthy diet, quitting smoking, and engaging in regular physical activity have all been shown to improve the prognosis for many people with serious medical conditions. Beyond managing health problems, maintaining a healthy lifestyle can minimize the risks of developing diseases. When nutrition and exercise information are available, people are empowered to take charge of their own lives. Educating parents and children can improve the health outcomes of future generations. Ensuring that everyone has access to healthy foods—especially fruits and vegetables—and to areas where they can walk, bicycle, play basketball, or otherwise be active, will help reduce the terrible burden chronic health conditions place on individuals, families, and society as a whole. The School of Public Health Responds Researchers at the School have developed interventions to improve the health of communities and have evaluated the effectiveness of those interventions. Some projects include: The University of California, Berkeley, Wellness Letter and its associated web site, wellnessletter.com, help provide more than 350,000 readers with current, balanced information on a range of health topics. By enlisting the top researchers at the School and around the world, the Wellness Letter takes the latest research in nutrition, mental health, emotional wellbeing, and physical activity, and translates it into analysis and practical advice for a lay audience. Working with city planners and officials, researchers seek to improve the "built environment," making cities and suburbs more conducive to physical activity. The Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Center for Weight and Health studies the impact of nutrition interventions on a variety of populations, including children in schools and ethnic groups hit hardest by obesity.