Christopher Gardner, PhD, Director of Nutrition Studies at Stanford Prevention Research Center, The Rehnborg Farquhar Professor of Medicine at Stanford University

"Through rigorous science, education, and programs, we empower individuals and leaders in healthcare, foodservice, government, and education to adopt practices that prevent chronic disease and promote environmental sustainability."

Meet Our Team

In partnership with the San Francisco Firefighters Cancer Prevention Foundation and the San Francisco Fire Department, the IGNITE Firefighters’ Health Study (Implementing Good Nutrition to Improve, Transform, and Enhance Firefighters’ Health) is a groundbreaking effort to explore whether a whole-food, plant-forward diet can help reduce cancer risk among active San Francisco firefighters.

Our Work

Learn about the different areas of our work

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Research

Advancing human and planetary health through innovative and rigorous nutrition research.

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Programs & Initiatives

Collaborating with partners to advance sustainable nutrition and world-class science.

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Education

Empowering learners with a deeper understanding of nutrition and its impact on people and the planet.

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Announcements

Available for Pre-Order: Food Sense

With so much conflicting nutrition advice, deciding what to eat can feel challenging. In his new book, Food Sense, Dr. Gardner cuts through the noise to show what the science says and how eating well can be simple.

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2026 Stanford Food Summit

Join Stanford Colleagues for the 10th Stanford Food Summit on Friday, October 23, 2026 at the Arrillaga Alumni Center to connect, collaborate, and advance cross-cutting food-related research across Stanford.

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Photo credit: U.S. Department of Agriculture

2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines

While the recently released 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans reflect many areas of consensus, they also diverge from science in ways that introduce confusion, inconsistencies, and avoidable errors.

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