Dr. Christine Williams, M.D., M.P.H.

  • Principal Investigator
  • Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Columbia University
  • Director, Children's Cardiovascular Health Center

NAA Committee membership:

Steering Committee (SC)
Pediatric Working Group

Curriculum Committee

Christine L. Williams, MD, MPH is Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, and Director of the Children's Cardiovascular Health Center in the Department of Pediatrics and Institute of Human Nutrition at Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Williams received both a Bachelor of Science Degree and Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Pittsburgh. Subsequently she received a Master of Public Health degree from Harvard University. She is Board certified in Pediatrics as well as in Preventive Medicine and Public Health.

Dr. Williams' research work in child nutrition have been supported by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, the National Cancer Institute, the Hearst Foundation, the Travelers Foundation, and industry. Her primary interests concern child nutrition, childhood obesity, pediatric preventive cardiology including treatment of hypercholesterolemia in childhood, nutritional aspects of cancer prevention beginning in childhood, dietary requirements in childhood including dietary fiber goals, dietary fat intake in childhood, comprehensive child health education in schools and preschools, preschool physical activity initiatives, health education curricula for children, teacher training in health and nutrition education, school food service research, and smoking prevention. Dr Williams has organized national conferences on Childhood Obesity, Hyperlipidemia in Children, Dietary Fiber in Childhood, Dietary Fat, and Fortification of Children's Foods. She has published more than 90 scientific articles, book chapters and books, primarily in the field of child nutrition and health.

Prior to coming to Columbia University, Dr Williams served as founder and Director of the Child Health Center at the American Health Foundation in Valhalla, New York, and as Clinical Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at New York Medical College. As a specialist in child nutrition and preventive cardiology, Dr. Williams has conducted research, published numerous scientific articles, book chapters and books, and taught child health and preventive medicine. Board certified in the specialties of pediatrics and preventive medicine, Dr. Williams has been a pioneer in developing comprehensive health education programs for preschool ("the "Healthy Start" program) and school-aged children (the "Know Your Body" program) and their families.
Dr Williams earned a Bachelor of Science (BS) and Doctor of Medicine (MD) degrees from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Master of Public Health (MPH) from Harvard University. Prior to joining the American Health Foundation, Dr. Williams was a tenured Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Director of the Graduate Program of Maternal and Child Health, and Chief of the Section of Pediatric Epidemiology in the Department of Pediatrics. While at the medical school she was recipient of the prestigious Preventive Cardiology Academic Award from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Williams is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Public Health Association, and the American Heart Association. She was elected a Fellow of the Council of Epidemiology and Prevention of the American Heart Association, and served as Chair of the AHA Committee on Atherosclerosis, Hypertension and Obesity in the Young, of the Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young. Dr. Williams has been a member of the Executive Councils of the AHA Council on Epidemiology and Prevention, and the Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young. She is currently a member of the Committee on Obesity, of the AHA Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism. She is Past President of the American Society of Preventive Cardiology. She was a member of the American Dietetic Association's Expert Panel on Child Nutrition and Health. She also served on the National Academy of Sciences Committee on the Definition of Dietary Fiber.