Ariana Chao, Ph.D., CRNP, RN

Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing with Joint Appointment in Medicine, Director of Research, Healthful Eating, Activity & Weight Program

ariana.chao@jhu.edu

Ariana M. Chao, PhD, CRNP, RN is an Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing with a joint appointment in the School of Medicine. She serves as the Director of Research at the Healthful Eating, Activity and Weight Program at Johns Hopkins where she also practices clinically as an obesity medicine nurse practitioner. She is an adjunct Associate Professor at University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and a special volunteer in the Section of Sensory Science, and Metabolism at NIAAA/NIH.

Dr. Chao is internationally recognized for her leadership in obesity treatment. She is dedicated to developing innovative treatments for obesity and obesity-related eating behaviors that improve physical and mental health. Using an interdisciplinary approach, her scholarship focuses on four primary areas. The first is the identification of biobehavioral factors and phenotypes associated with obesity, particularly addictive-like eating, food cravings, and binge eating, and how these influence and change with treatment. The second is the evaluation of behavioral and pharmacological approaches for weight loss and maintenance. The third is the assessment and development of obesity treatment approaches that address social determinants of health and reduce health disparities. The fourth is the evaluation and development of obesity treatment education and training for healthcare providers.

Dr. Chao has published over 100 articles. Her work has been supported by the National Institutes of Health as well as foundation and industry sponsors. Dr. Chao received her Bachelor and Master of Science in Nursing from Boston College, earned her PhD in nursing science at Yale University, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania.

Recent publications include:

• Chao AM, Paul A, Vaidya N, Ghanta A. A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Produce Prescription Program for Adults With Food Insecurity and Obesity. J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2025 Apr 9. doi: 10.1097/JCN.0000000000001215. PMID: 40198763.
• Chao AM, Moore M, Wadden TA. The past, present, and future of behavioral obesity treatment. Int J Obes (Lond). 2025 Feb;49(2):196-205. doi: 10.1038/s41366-024-01525-3. PMID: 38678143; PMCID: PMC11729970.
• Chao AM, Agarwal K, Zhou Y, Grilo CM, Gur RC, Joseph P, Shinohara RT, Richmond TS, Wadden TA. Neural Responses to Auditory Food Stimuli Following Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Binge-Eating Disorder. Int J Eat Disord. 2024 Sep;57(9):1911-1923. doi: 10.1002/eat.24244. Epub 2024 Jul 2. PMID: 38953334; PMCID: PMC11483217.
• Wadden TA, Kushner RF, Chao AM. Bariatric Surgery Produces Long-Term Benefits in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: Evidence Supporting Its Expanded Use and Coverage. JAMA. 2024 Feb 27;331(8):643-645. doi: 10.1001/jama.2023.28141. PMID: 38411656.
• Wadden TA, Chao AM, Machineni S, Kushner R, Ard J, Srivastava G, Halpern B, Zhang S, Chen J, Bunck MC, Ahmad NN, Forrester T. Tirzepatide after intensive lifestyle intervention in adults with overweight or obesity: the SURMOUNT-3 phase 3 trial. Nat Med. 2023 Nov;29(11):2909-2918. doi: 10.1038/s41591-023-02597-w. Erratum in: Nat Med. 2024 Jun;30(6):1784. doi: 10.1038/s41591-024-02883-1. PMID: 37840095; PMCID: PMC10667099.