Ron Kleinman, MD is Professor of Pediatrics at the Harvard Medical School and Chief of the Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition Unit and Associate Chief of Pediatrics at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA.

He received his undergraduate degree from Trinity College, Hartford, CT (1968) and his MD from New York Medical College (1972). He completed his residency in pediatrics at the Albert Einstein Medical Center in NY where he also served as Chief Resident in Pediatrics and completed a fellowship in Developmental Biology. He completed his fellowship training in Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at the Massachusetts General Hospital in 1981 and has remained there as a member of the faculty since then.

Ron was a basic scientist in the area of gastrointestinal immunology and immune tolerance to enteric antigens for the first 15 years of his career, supported by grants from the NIH and foundations. More recently he has focused on clinical investigation, examining interventions to protect infants and children against diarrheal illness both in developed and developing nations. His major effort during the past 10 years has been to examine the immediate and long term effects of hunger on the psychosocial performance and health of school age children and to determine the value of interventions such as school feeding programs to alleviate hunger. This work has been supported by government, foundation and industry grants.

In addition to his peer reviewed publications, he is the editor of 4 textbooks, has served as Chair of the Committee on Nutrition for the American Academy of Pediatrics and is a Past President of the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.