Ruopeng An, associate professor at the Brown School, has been accepted as a Fellow in the American Academy of Health Behavior (AAHB), the professional home for health behavior scholars and researchers.
“We are delighted to count Dr. An as a member of the Academy because of his significant record and scientific accomplishments,” said Hsien-Chang Lin, the AAHB president and a professor at the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington.
An, one of three fellows accepted by the AAHB this year, also works in the Division of Computational and Data Services at Washington University in St. Louis. His research includes the assessment of population-level policies, local food and built environment, and socioeconomic determinants that affect individuals’ dietary behavior and physical activity, as well as adiposity in children, adults of all ages, and people with disabilities. His research aims to develop a well-rounded knowledge base and policy recommendations that can inform decision-making and the allocation of resources to combat obesity.
An’s research has been funded by federal agencies and public/private organizations, and he founded and chairs the Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Analytics for Public Health Certificate program and hosts the “Artificial Intelligence in the Social Sciences” Open Classroom series at the Brown School. An has published over 200 peer-reviewed journal publications, and he is recognized as one of Elsevier’s top 2% most cited scientists, with work highlighted by media outlets such as TIME, the New York Times, and NPR.
“I am deeply honored to be elected a Fellow of an academy representing excellence and integrity in health behavior research,” An said. “This recognition underscores the importance of our interdisciplinary efforts to assess and influence the diverse determinants affecting health behaviors at the population level, and encourages our pursuit of actionable knowledge and the development of equitable policies that can substantively improve public health outcomes.”