Stefanos N. Kales MD, MPH, FACP, FACOEM

Harvard Medical School & Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health – Cambridge Health Alliance

Dr. Stefanos Kales is a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and Professor & Director of the Occupational Medicine Residency at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health (HSPH). He is also Chief of Occupational Medicine /Medical Director- Employee Health at the Cambridge Health Alliance, a Harvard-affiliated hospital system. He organized and hosted Harvard’s groundbreaking 2014 Mediterranean Diet Conference, and he was Scientific Chair of the landmark 2017 Mediterranean Diet & Health Experiential Conference in Greece. In 2019, Dr. Kales received competitive funding from Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study to organize and host the invitation-only Exploratory Seminar: “Mediterranean Diet: Promotion and Dissemination of Healthy Eating”. He is the founder of the Hellenic Center for Excellence in Health & Wellness, and is the scientific organizer of the 2022, 2023, 2024 & 2025 Mediterranean Experiential Lifestyle conferences in Greece. These innovative gatherings combine state of the art scientific presentations from world-renowned figures with authentic, “hands-on” immersion experiences (agro-culinary, historical, cultural) embraced by Greek hospitality.

Dr. Kales has participated in a wide range of medical/public health research, advisory and teaching activities on five continents resulting in over 265 publications and wide recognition nationally and internationally. He has served on the editorial boards of several biomedical journals and is a faculty member in Harvard’s Cardiovascular Epidemiology Program and Harvard Medical School’s Division of Sleep Medicine. Dr. Kales has received numerous honors, including the 2013 Kehoe Award for Excellence in Education and Research and 2014 Harriet Hardy Award for outstanding scientific contributions to the field. He has also received honors from the International Association of Fire Chiefs and was inducted into the Order of Emperor Dom Pedro II by the Federal Corp of Brazilian Military Firefighters. He has also received several million dollars in competitive US federal funding, including an ambitious Mediterranean Diet Intervention trial (“Feeding America’s Bravest: Survival Mediterranean Style) among Midwestern firefighters which was awarded the 2017 Silver Medal for Health Research by the Oleocanthal International Society. He received the 2024 Mentor Award from the American College of Occupational & Environmental Medicine.

Dr. Kales grew up around traditional Greek foods prepared by his beloved grandmother in the family kitchen and expanded these formative experiences through extensive travels in Greece, Cyprus, Spain and Italy. As a health educator, he seeks to lead by example; following a Mediterranean diet, practicing regular physical fitness and good sleep hygiene. Dr. Kales’ ultimate goal is to use innovative approaches to disseminate healthy nutrition in schools, workplaces and hospitals. Dr. Kales recently co-authored the “Textbook of Lifestyle Medicine” (Wiley UK), which emphasizes a Mediterranean lifestyle as the gold standard for healthy living. In May 2022, he participated as an invited speaker in the Pontifical Academy of Sciences symposium: “The Art & Science of Olive Oil” at the Vatican. He also co-organized and led an international conference on lifestyle for dementia prevention for the A. G. Leventis Foundation.

The current work of Dr. Kales’ team centers on promoting healthy lifestyles, including:
“Bottarga” Supplementation – A pilot study investigating the metabolic effects of Greek Bottarga to assess effects onlipid profiles, inflammation, and insulin resistance among overweight/pre-diabetic individuals.
“F!reF!ghterF!t” Trial – A randomized controlled trial evaluating a 9-month lifestyle coaching intervention for obesefirefighters.
Surviving and Thriving App – Development and pilot testing of a smartphone application designed to support newfirefighters in adopting healthy lifestyle habits, improving fitness, and addressing behavioral health challenges.