Neal Barnard | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Barnard in 2014 | |
| Born | 10 July 1953 [1] |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | George Washington University School of Medicine (M.D.) |
| Occupation(s) | Non-profit executive, author, medical researcher |
| Known for | Founder and President of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine |
Neal D. Barnard, born 10 July 1953 in Fargo, North Dakota, is an American author, clinical researcher, and founding president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).[3][4][5][6]
Barnard grew up in Fargo, North Dakota. He received his medical training at George Washington University School of Medicine,[7] where he began to explore vegan diets.[8] He is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology,[9] a fellow of the American College of Cardiology[10] and a lifetime member of the American Medical Association.[11]
Barnard founded Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) in 1985 to promote preventive medicine.[12] By 2016, the Washington D.C.-based PCRM had 150,000 members, including 12,000 physicians and reported revenues of more than $20 million.[13][14] He appeared in the documentaries Forks Over Knives (2011),[15][16] PlantPure Nation (2015),[17] and What the Health (2017).[15] Barnard serves as an Adjunct Professor of Medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine.[18][19] He founded the Barnard Medical Center in 2015 as part of PCRM, and it opened in 2016 with him as president; the center provides primary care and emphasizes diet and preventive medicine.[20][21]
In his active practice, Dr. Barnard works with patients with diabetes, obesity, and other conditions in clinical research protocols. He plays cello, guitar, and keyboards, and has been a member of the bands Pop Maru, Verdun, and Carbonworks.[22][23] Alec Baldwin once called Barnard ‘Eddie Van Halen with a medical degree.’[24]
In 2011, Barnard was inducted into the Vegetarian Hall of Fame of the North American Vegetarian Society during its summer conference, where he has occasionally spoken.[25]
