Christopher Gardner, PhD, Senior Author of a Groundbreaking Nutrition Study with Twins, is Honored With the Benjamin Spock Award for Compassion in Medicine

WASHINGTON— At the International Conference for Nutrition in Medicine in August 2026, the  Physicians Committee honored Christopher Gardner, PhD, with the  Benjamin Spock Award for Compassion in Medicine. Dr. Gardner is the senior author of a visionary and influential study of 22 pairs of identical twins. Published in JAMA Network Open, Dr. Gardner and his colleagues found that a vegan diet improves cardiovascular health in as little as eight weeks.

“This suggests that anyone who chooses a vegan diet can improve their long-term health in two months, with the most change seen in the first month,” says Dr. Gardner, a Stanford professor. “Based on these results and thinking about longevity, most of us would benefit from going to a more plant-based diet.”

Dr. Gardner and his colleagues found that the twins following a plant-based diet experienced significantly lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, insulin, and body weight — all of which are associated with improved cardiovascular health — compared to the omnivore twins.

At the International Conference on Nutrition in Medicine in August of 2026, Dr. Gardner spoke about the controversy over the recently issued Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Dr. Gardener and other top nutrition experts served on the U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee from January 2023 until late 2024.

The conference, which includes plant-based breakfasts and lunches, is jointly provided by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a nonprofit health advocacy organization of more than 17,000 physician members, and the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Physicians, nurses, dietitians, health coaches, and pharmacists can earn up to 20 continuing education credits for attending.

The award given to Dr. Gardner is named for Benjamin Spock, MD, whose life (1903-1998) covered most of the last century. His influence will reach far into the next. The man who would become, somewhat to his own astonishment, the most trusted pediatrician and bestselling author of all time became a valued Physicians Committee partner later in his life.

Becoming convinced of the role of diet for health, Dr. Spock led a 1992 Physicians Committee press conference in Boston aimed at educating parents about newly established links between cow’s milk and type 1 diabetes, among other risks. Later, he joined Physicians Committee President Neal Barnard, MD, in calling for sweeping reforms of federal nutrition policies. Throughout his life, Dr. Spock remained a tireless and courageous advocate for children and families, and his legacy will remain a source of knowledge and inspiration for parents for generations to come.