Ross Hammond uses advanced computational modeling to understand and find practical solutions for critical public health and social science issues. His work encompasses a broad range of public health topics including obesity etiology and prevention, food systems, tobacco control, behavioral epidemiology, and the broader social determinants of health such as crime, corruption, segregation, trust and decision-making.  

Hammond has more than 20 years of experience applying complex systems science modeling methodologies, such as agent-based modeling, to public health problems. By modeling complex dynamics in economic, social, and public health systems, his research provides valuable insight for developing targeted interventions and policies that effectively and efficiently promote health across different contexts and populations.

Hammond is a senior fellow in economic studies at the Brookings Institution, where he directs the Center on Social Dynamics and Policy, and an external professor at the Santa Fe Institute. He also serves on committees providing public health expertise and guidance to the National Cancer Institute, the FDA Center for Tobacco Products, the Lancet Commission on Obesity, and the National Academy of Sciences’ Food and Nutrition Board.

Areas of focus:

  • Modeling complex dynamics in social, economic, and public health systems 
  • Obesity etiology and prevention 
  • Food systems and food security 
  • Tobacco control
  • Childhood chronic disease prevention
  • Computational approaches as policy tools

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