Walter C. Willett

Walter C. Willett is a Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where he earned both his Master of Public Health and Doctor of Public Health degrees. He also directs the Thich Nhat Hanh Center for Mindfulness in Public Health. His research focuses on nutritional epidemiology, dietary patterns and healthy aging, ultra-processed foods and type 2 diabetes risk, and the health impacts of fructose-containing beverages on hypertension. Recent publications include work in Nature Medicine on optimal dietary patterns for healthy aging and in The Lancet on sustainable food systems. He has led major cohort studies on cancer epidemiology in women and male health professionals, with extensive international collaborations spanning institutions across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.