Lawrence J. Appel

Dr. LAWRENCE J. APPEL is the Director of the Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research, a joint program of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Appel holds a primary appointment as Professor of Medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine with joint appointments in Epidemiology and International Health.

Dr. Appel received his AB degree from Dartmouth College in 1977 and his MD from the NYU School of Medicine in 1981. He then trained at Baltimore City Hospital in the Primary Care track of its Internal Medicine Residency program; he also served as Chief Resident. In 1989, he completed an Internal Medicine Fellowship at Hopkins, obtained an MPH degree, and joined the Hopkins faculty as a clinical investigator conducting patient centered research and practicing general internal medicine.

The focus of Dr. Appel’s investigative career is the conduct of clinical and epidemiologic research pertaining to the prevention and control of elevated blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and kidney disease. He has three main lines of research: • controlled feeding trials, which identify optimal diet; • behavioral intervention trials, which test novel strategies to accomplish lifestyle change, often focused on obesity; and • trials and observational studies, which identify risk factors for the progression of kidney disease.

He has conducted more than 50 studies and published more than 300 papers. Many of his research findings have had a substantial influence on health care policy. Dr. Appel is actively involved in shaping health care policy. He was a member of the 2005 and 2010 U.S. Dietary Guidelines Scientific Advisory Committees. For the American Heart Association, he has served on numerous committees, including its influential Nutrition Committee, which he chaired. He has also served on several Institute of Medicine Committees and chaired the committee that set dietary reference intakes for sodium, potassium, and water.

During his career, Dr. Appel has received numerous awards, including the Rathbun Award for clinical excellence; the David M. Levine Award for excellence in mentoring; the National Award for Career Achievement and Contribution to Clinical and Translational Science; and the Best Research Paper of the Year, from the Society of General Internal Medicine. In 2012, he was elected to membership in the Institute of Medicine.

Dr. Appel is blessed to have a supportive, loving family – his wife of 32 years, Jean Marie Ricketts; his three children, Christopher, Laura, and Katherine; and his parents, Dr. John F. and Irma G. Appel, both deceased. He also benefited from superb clinical, research, and professional mentors at Hopkins. Dr. Appel is fortunate to work in incredibly stimulating, highly productive units – ProHealth, a pre-eminent field center, and the Welch Center, a unique academic unit with more than 30 faculty and 150 trainees.