James O. Hill, Ph.D., an internationally recognized expert in weight management, has been named chair of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Nutrition Sciences and director of the UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center.

Hill comes to UAB from the University of Colorado, where he was director of the Center for Human Nutrition at UC Health Sciences. He also served as director of the UC Anschutz Medical Campus NORC for more than two decades. As a researcher for more than 30 years, Hill has published more than 550 scientific articles and delivered lectures around the world about weight management.

He says a strong nutrition department should do three things well.

“Research is the foundation, so we will prioritize research because it provides a credibility that allows us to do everything else,” said Hill, who will also serve as a professor of nutrition in the School of Health Professions. “Education follows, and UAB’s nutrition education is already strong; but we will look at strengthening it so we can be seen as the place for nutrition education at all levels. Finally, we must conduct outreach — we need to take our research and education into the community to positively affect the people around Birmingham and beyond.”

Hill takes over a UAB NORC that is home to 170 regular, affiliated and mentored member scientists, 37 postdoctoral trainees, and 15 predoctoral students. Funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, there are only 11 NORC locations in the United States.