In 1977, Brownell became a member of the faculty at the
University of Pennsylvania's
medical school. He began as an assistant professor of psychology in psychiatry, was subsequently promoted to associate professor, and finally to full professor. During this period, he also served one year as a visiting scientist at the
National Institutes of Health (NHI)
National Cancer Institute (NCI). In 1991, he joined Yale University, where he held positions as the
James Rowland Angell professor of psychology, professor of epidemiology and public health, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, chair of the department of psychology, and head of the undergraduate dormitory
Silliman College. Brownell left Yale in 2013 to join Duke University as Dean of its Sanford School of Public Policy, in which role he continued until the end of the 2018 academic year. He holds academic appointments as the Robert L. Flowers Professor of Public Policy, Professor of Psychology and
Neuroscience, Director of the World Food Policy Center, and is a faculty affiliate of the Duke Global Health Institute. In 2017, backed by funding from the
Duke Endowment,
William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust, and
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, Duke University announced the formation of its new World Food Policy Center (WFPC), based at the Sanford School of Public Policy. Brownell is the center's founder and director. To date, he has authored 15 books and more than 350 scientific articles, papers, and chapters. He has also contributed to
mainstream media outlets. Brownell was previously president of the Society of Behavioral Medicine; Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy; and American Psychological Association, Division 38: Society for Health Psychology. ==Impact==