Christopher​ ​Viya​ ​Chau​ ​is​ ​committed​ ​to​ ​working​ ​at​ ​the​ ​intersection​ ​of​ ​obesity​ ​research,​ ​healthful lifestyle​ ​interventions,​ ​and​ ​nutrition​ ​program​ ​evaluation.​ ​A​ ​proud​ ​native​ ​of​ ​Los​ ​Angeles,​ ​CA, Christopher​ ​earned​ ​a​ ​BS​ ​in​ ​biology​ ​from​ ​UCLA.​ ​After​ ​joining​ ​the​ ​NYC​ ​chapter​ ​of​ ​Teach​ ​For America​ ​and​ ​earning​ ​his​ ​MS​ ​in​ ​adolescent​ ​education,​ ​Christopher​ ​taught​ ​high​ ​school​ ​and spearheaded​ ​the​ ​first​ ​nutrition​ ​and​ ​health​ ​curriculum​ ​at​ ​his​ ​school.​ ​Inspired​ ​to​ ​deepen​ ​his understanding​ ​of​ ​public​ ​health​ ​nutrition,​ ​Christopher​ ​returned​ ​to​ ​school​ ​to​ ​earn​ ​his post-baccalaureate​ ​in​ ​nutrition,​ ​MPH​ ​from​ ​UCLA,​ ​and​ ​credential​ ​as​ ​a​ ​registered​ ​dietitian.​ ​While at​ ​UCLA,​ ​Christopher​ ​served​ ​under​ ​the​ ​visionary​ ​leadership​ ​of​ ​Dr.​ ​Toni​ ​Yancey​ ​as​ ​a​ ​project coordinator​ ​for​ ​the​ ​CDC-funded​ ​UCLA​ ​REACH​ ​Healthy-By-Default​ ​Project.​ ​He​ ​collaborated with​ ​esteemed​ ​research​ ​and​ ​community​ ​partners​ ​to​ ​implement​ ​and​ ​disseminate​ ​Instant​ ​Recess​® and​ ​other​ ​“healthy-by-default”​ ​strategies​ ​among​ ​African​ ​American​ ​and​ ​Latino​ ​populations, nationally.​ ​These​ ​experiences​ ​led​ ​Christopher​ ​to​ ​pursue​ ​a​ ​Doctor​ ​of​ ​Public​ ​Health​ ​(DrPH)​ ​degree with​ ​a​ ​focus​ ​on​ ​public​ ​health​ ​nutrition​ ​at​ ​the​ ​University​ ​of​ ​California,​ ​Berkeley.

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Christopher’s​ ​dissertation​ ​project​ ​aims​ ​to​ ​move​ ​the​ ​field​ ​of​ ​childhood​ ​obesity​ ​prevention​ ​forward by​ ​identifying​ ​long-term​ ​predictors​ ​of​ ​eating​ ​behavior,​ ​abdominal​ ​fat​ ​development,​ ​and​ ​heart disease​ ​risk​ ​among​ ​communities​ ​of​ ​color.​ ​His​ ​study​ ​sample​ ​consists​ ​of​ ​over​ ​2,000​ ​black​ ​and white​ ​girls,​ ​who​ ​were​ ​recruited​ ​from​ ​San​ ​Francisco,​ ​Cincinnati,​ ​and​ ​Washington,​ ​DC metropolitan​ ​areas​ ​and​ ​followed​ ​from​ ​1987-1997.​ ​His​ ​work​ ​aims​ ​to​ ​expand​ ​the​ ​current​ ​obesity literature,​ ​impact​ ​clinical​ ​practice,​ ​and​ ​inform​ ​obesity​ ​prevention​ ​programs.​ ​In​ ​the​ ​future,​ ​he plans​ ​to​ ​explore​ ​how​ ​nutrition​ ​and​ ​physical​ ​activity​ ​policies​ ​and​ ​programs​ ​can​ ​change​ ​the​ ​social environment​ ​and​ ​influence​ ​behaviors​ ​of​ ​young​ ​children.​ ​Christopher​ ​hopes​ ​to​ ​continue​ ​the​ ​fight against​ ​obesity​ ​and​ ​chronic​ ​disease​ ​so​ ​that​ ​future​ ​generations​ ​can​ ​live​ ​longer—not​ ​shorter—lives than​ ​their​ ​parents.