Kelly Brownell is Dircetor of the World Food Policy Center, Professor of Public Policy, and former Dean of the Sanford School of Public Policy, at Duke University. In 2006 Time magazine listed Brownell among "The World's 100 Most Influential People" in its special Time 100 issue featuring those ".. whose power, talent or moral example is transforming the world." Brownell was elected to membership in the National Academy of Medicine (Institute of Medicine in 2006 and has received numerous awards and honors for his work, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Psychological Association, Graduate Mentoring Award from Yale, the James McKeen Cattell Award from the New York Academy of Sciences, the Distinguished Alumni Award from Purdue University, the Lifetime Achievement Award from Rutgers University, and the Distinguished Scientific Award for the Applications of Psychology from the American Psychological Association.

Prior to joining the faculty at Duke, Brownell was at Yale University where he was the James Rowland Angell Professor of Psychology, professor of epidemiology and public health, and director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. While at Yale he served as chair of the department of psychology and as master of Silliman College.