Sarwer, David B

David B Sarwer

Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences; Temple University
Dr Sarwer is the senior associate dean for research and strategic partnerships and the director of the Center for Obesity Research and Education at the College of Public Health. He is also a professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences. His research is focused on the etiology and treatment of obesity. Much of his work has focused on the psychosocial and behavioral aspects of extreme obesity and bariatric surgery. Dr. Sarwer also has a wealth of experience in the treatment of obesity with lifestyle modification interventions and pharmacotherapy. His more recent work in this area has focused on the adaptation and delivery of weight loss treatments in specialized medical settings, the contribution of neighborhood level variables to obesity, and the underutilization of evidence-based treatments.

Dr Sarwer also maintains an active program of research on the psychological aspects of physical appearance. This includes a project funded by the Department of Defense investigating the psychosocial experiences of American military veterans who have suffered devastating injuries that could leave them as candidates for vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) procedures, otherwise known as face and hand transplants.

Dr Sarwer is the founding editor-in-chief of the journal Obesity Science and Practice. He also serves as an associate editor for Obesity Surgery; consulting editor for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery; and serves on the editorial boards of several other journals. In 2020, he was co-editor of a special issue of The American Psychologist dedicated to obesity.

Dr Sarwer has published over 350 papers and book chapters based on his research. He has served as editor of three books: Psychological Aspects of Reconstructive and Cosmetic Plastic Surgery (2006); Presurgical Psychological Screening (2014); and The ASMBS Textbook of Bariatric Surgery (2014). Dr. Sarwer’s research has been continuouly funded by the National Institutes of Health since 2002. His scholarly productivity leaves him ranked in the top 2% of scientists worldwide.

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