Dean Ornish

Dean Ornish, MD, is the founder, president, and director of the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California, where he holds the Bucksbaum Chair. He is Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Ornish received his medical training from the Baylor College of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and the Massachusetts General Hospital. He received a BA in Humanities summa cum laude from the University of Texas in Austin, where he gave the baccalaureate address.

For the past 25 years, Dr. 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. He has received several awards, including the 1994 Outstanding Young Alumnus Award from the University of Texas at Austin, the Jan J. Kellerman Memorial Award for distinguished contribution in the field of cardiovascular disease prevention from the International Academy of Cardiology, a Presidential Citation from the American Psychological Association, and a U.S. Army Surgeon General Medal.

Dr. Ornish has been a physician consultant to The White House and to several bipartisan members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Dr. Ornish was recognized as "one of the most interesting people of 1996" by People magazine, featured in the "Time 100" issue on alternative medicine, and chosen by LIFE magazine as "one of the 50 most influential members of his generation."