Lynn Silver, MD, MPH, FAAP

Lynn Silver is a pediatrician and public health expert who serves as senior advisor at PHI, coordinating the prevention policy group. She works to enhance and strengthen PHI’s portfolio of programs in prevention of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in the US and globally. Her current work includes research, advocacy and technical assistance on food policy to prevent obesity and chronic disease, marijuana regulatory policy, and strategies to increase the funding base for prevention and health equity. Her focus is on developing and evaluating the effectiveness of policy and environmental change approaches to prevention. Her efforts have included promoting policy and environmental changes to create healthier food environments, reduce tobacco and harmful alcohol use, increase physical activity, and reduce harmful use of marijuana products, and improve care for key noncommunicable diseases.

Silver has worked as a consumer advocate, academic, researcher and public health official. Previously, she served as health officer in Sonoma County, assistant health commissioner in New York City and as a professor of public health and advocate in Brazil for 15 years. In New York City’s Department of Health, she led the implementation of forward-thinking strategies to promote population health, including the first laws in the US eliminating use of trans-fats in food establishments and requiring calorie labeling at chain restaurants, both of which spread nationally and internationally.

Silver received her MD and MPH degrees and pediatric training at the Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Silver serves on the Board of the Center for Science in the Public Interest and on the State of California’s Proposition 64 Youth Fund Advisory Group. She received the National Unsung Heros of Public Health Wavemaker award in 2011 and has published extensively in the scientific literature and popular press on public health issues. She has serves as consultant to the World Health Organization, the World Bank, the Low Income Investment Fund and others. Her work has received support from a wide range of private foundations as well as NIH, HHS, HRSA, CDC and other public funders. She is married with 2 daughters and three stepsons and lives in Berkeley, California.