Maxwell health economist John Cawley has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). A professor of economics and of public administration and international affairs, and the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Chair in Public Policy, Cawley joins an incoming class of 100 new members, bringing NAM’s total membership to more than 2,600.

Cawley, who joined the Maxwell School in 2025, has earned widespread recognition for his research on the economics of diet, physical activity and obesity, with important studies on the medical care costs of obesity, the labor market consequences of obesity, and the impact of public policies such as calorie labels on restaurant menus and taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages.

Using sophisticated methods to address complex questions and provide straightforward recommendations, Cawley’s research findings have been published in top peer-reviewed journals, including American Economic Review, Journal of Health Economics, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, Journal of Economic Perspectives, JAMA, Lancet, and the American Journal of Public Health. He and his findings have also been featured in major media outlets, including The New York Times, PBS and The Washington Post.

One of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine, NAM members are elected by their peers and recognized as leaders who have made important contributions to health, medicine and science. Established in 1970 as the Institute of Medicine, it is part of the congressionally chartered National Academies. NAM works across disciplines to advance knowledge and accelerate progress in science, medicine, policy and health equity.

“John’s election to the National Academy of Medicine is a richly deserved recognition of a career devoted to rigorous scholarship that improves people’s lives,” says Dean David M. Van Slyke. “His work embodies what Maxwell does best: bringing deep expertise to the public challenges that matter most. We are enormously proud of him and grateful for the contributions he makes to our community every day.”

Cawley’s election represents just the latest recognition for his world-renowned research, which includes the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Investigator Award in Health Policy Research, the Charles C. Shepard Science Award in Prevention from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and his being named a Fulbright Specialist in Economics to Ireland, where he serves as an honorary professor of economics at the J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics at the University of Galway.  Cawley is also the current president of the American Society of Health Economists.

“The National Academy of Medicine plays a critical role in providing independent objective analysis and advice with the goal of improving the health of the United States,” says Cawley. “I'm incredibly honored to be elected to it and look forward to participating in the activities of the academy to advance evidence-based health policy.  I'm also grateful for the fantastic research environment at the Maxwell School, and Syracuse University more generally, where there are outstanding health policy scholars in a wide variety of disciplines.”  

Cawley and the other members of the election class were formally announced as NAM members during the academy’s annual meeting Oct. 16–18, 2026, in Washington, D.C.