Established in 2005 by the J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Foundation, the Harris Obesity Prevention Effort (HOPE) is a major initiative at the NYU Langone Medical Center to prevent childhood obesity. Under the leadership of Laurie Miller Brotman, Ph.D., HOPE brings together a world-class multidisciplinary team of scientists, clinicians and educators to combat this complex and costly public health epidemic.

HOPE is dedicated to the development, evaluation and dissemination of evidence-based practices for families and educators to help young children establish healthy behaviors around eating, physical activity, and sleep to prevent childhood obesity. HOPE is also committed to providing evidence-based treatments to morbidly obese adolescents who already suffering the devastating physical health and mental health consequences of obesity.