Goutham Rao, MD, is the Jack H. Medalie Professor and Chairman of the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at both University Hospitals of Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University. He is a health services researcher with an interest in improving primary health care delivery, especially for the identification, evaluation, and management of cardiovascular risks. Rao directs University Hospitals' medical obesity treatment program. He has served on a number of prominent national committees, including as Chair of the American Heart Association's Obesity Committee. He has received research funding from government agencies and is currently a member of AHRQ's Health Information Technology and Research Study Section. Dr. Rao is the author of more than 100 publications, including four published books. He is a graduate of McGill University School of Medicine and completed his residency in family medicine at the University of Toronto. He completed fellowship training at the University of Pittsburgh. In 2012, he was among the first cohort of physicians to be board-certified in obesity medicine. Dr. Rao resides with his family in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.