Thomas A. Wadden Award for Distinguished Mentorship
Barry M. Popkin, PhD, FTOS
Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Created in 2015, the award honors a TOS member for distinguished mentorship of the Society’s early career investigators. The award is named for Professor Thomas A. Wadden, PhD, who mentored many individuals who went on to pursue successful careers in obesity research and clinical care.
TOPS Research Achievement Award
John Speakman, PhD, DSc, FTOS
Professor, University of Aberdeen
The TOPS Research Achievement Award is for singular achievement or contribution to research in the field of obesity and made possible through an annual grant from the Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) Foundation.
American Board of Obesity Medicine
Caroline Apovian, MD, FACP, FTOS, DABOM
Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics
Boston University
The Master award recognizes physicians that have made significant contributions to the science, practice, and/or advancement of obesity medicine.
Friends of Albert (Mickey) Stunkard
Lifetime Achievement Award
Rena Wing, PhD, FTOS
Professor, Brown University
Director, Weight Control & Diabetes Research Center at The Miriam Hospital
The Friends of Albert (Mickey) Stunkard Lifetime Achievement Award is designed to recognize an individual who has made a commitment to the field of obesity in terms of scholarship, mentorship, and education.
Atkinson Stern Award for Distinguished Public Service
Susan Yanovski, MD, FTOS
Senior Scientific Advisor for Clinical Obesity Research
Co-director, Office of Obesity Research
Executive Director Clinical Obesity Research Panel
Director, Obesity and Eating Disorders Program
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
This award was established by a donation from Dr. Thomas A. Wadden to recognize an individual or organization whose work has improved the lives of those affected by obesity, whether through research, public policy, or patient care.
The George A. Bray Founders Award
Penny Gordon-Larsen, PhD, FTOS
Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The George A. Bray Founders Award recognizes an individual for significant contributions that advance the scientific or clinical basis for understanding or treating obesity and for extensive involvement with The Obesity Society.
The George A. Bray Master’s Thesis Award 2020 Recipient
Katherine McNitt, MS
Pennsylvania State University
The award recognizes one student for their master’s thesis. The thesis is evaluated by the overall relevance and potential impact on the field of obesity with an emphasis on scientific methodology and approach.
The George A. Bray Doctoral Dissertation Award 2020 Recipient
Katherine Arlinghaus, PhD
University of Houston
The award recognizes one student for their doctoral dissertation, which is judged on the significance, scope, innovation, and scientific methodology in the field of obesity.
Sandrine Chometton
Amanda Crandall
Ethan Sims Young Investigator Award
Sandrine Chometton, PhD – RECIPIENT
Research Title: “A Role for Glucokinase in the Arcuate Nucleus in Glucose Appetition”
Amanda Crandall, MS – RECIPIENT
Research Title: “The Effect of Financial Scarcity on the Relative Reinforcing Value of Food and Delay Discounting”
Jacqueline Hayes, PhD
Research Title: “Behavioral Obesity Treatment Outcomes in Children with Severe Obesity: Metrics Determine Conclusions”
Leah Lessard, PhD
Research Title: “Weight Enumeration in State Anti-Bullying Laws and Risks of Weight-Based Bullying Among LGBTQ Youth”
Kripa Shankar, PhD
Research Title: “Obesity-Associated Plasma Ghrelin Reduction Is Mediated by Ghrelin Cell-Expressed Insulin Receptors”
The Ethan Sims Young Investigator Award was established in honor of Ethan Sims, an early pioneer in obesity research, and recognizes excellence in research by young investigators.
Five semifinalists are selected based on their submitted abstracts and are invited to make a presentation during ObesityWeek®. The recipient is then selected based on their oral presentations at ObesityWeek®.
TOS Clinician of the Year Award
Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH, MPA, FTOS
Assistant Professor, Harvard University
The award was founded in 2015 by the Clinical Management of Obesity Section of The Obesity Society. The Clinician of the Year Award signifies excellence in the practice of obesity medicine and distinguishes a physician as having achieved a high level of competency and understanding in obesity care.
The Oded Bar-Or Award
Angelo Pietrobelli, MD
Professor, University of Verona
The Oded Bar-Or Award was established in 2007 to honor Oded Bar-Or, a pioneer in children’s health, by the Pediatric Obesity Section of TOS. This award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions to basic and applied pediatric obesity research that have resulted in major advances in the scientific understanding of etiology, prevention, and treatment of pediatric obesity.
The Presidential Medal of Distinction
The Presidential Medal of Distinction was created to honor and recognize the efforts of individuals or organizations who have made an impact on the care of persons with obesity through outstanding and enduring scientific achievements; public service with the aim of improving the health of the public; having made a tenacious and/or bold effort to spotlight obesity-related issues; and advocacy for persons with obesity.
Roxane Gay
Author and Essayist
Roxane Gay is a New York Times bestselling author and essayist whose books include Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body. She was honored “for giving voice to the challenges, frustration, self-prejudice and relentlessness of obesity through her powerful and insightful writing.”
Ted Kyle, RPh, MBA
Principal, ConscienHealh™
Ted Kyle is the founder and editor of ConscienHealthTM, an influential and widely read newsletter that highlights important issues related to obesity and health. He was honored “for being a true conscience to all who study, prevent, treat or have obesity, each day helping separate fact from opinion and evidence from preconception.”
Rudolph L. Leibel, MD
Christopher J. Murphy Professor of Diabetes Research
Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine
Columbia University Medical Center
Rudolph Leibel, MD, Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine and Christopher J. Murphy Professor of Diabetes Research at Columbia University, has long been a scientific and clinical leader in endocrinology and obesity. He was honored for his studies leading to the discovery of leptin and for “identifying key characteristics of the physiological regulation of body weight and fat mass, thus enabling discovery, understanding and therapeutic targeting of the molecular circuitry underlying obesity.”