Brandy Peaker, MD, MPH

Brandy Peaker, MD, MPH, is a board-certified family practitioner who joined CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control (DCPC) as a medical officer in December 2010. Dr. Peaker is the physical activity and obesity subject matter expert for DCPC’s Comprehensive Cancer Control Branch. Her research focuses on the link between physical activity and obesity and cancer, the physical activity behavior and weight status of cancer survivors, and physical activity and obesity behavioral counseling. She also studies state and national capacity for colorectal cancer screening, and how well practice-level interventions for improving colorectal cancer screening rates work.

Dr. Peaker completed her undergraduate education at Wake Forest University with a bachelor of science in health and exercise science, and earned her medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Following a family medicine residency at Carolinas Medical Center, she completed a second residency in preventive medicine and obtained a master of public health from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. During her preventive medicine residency, Dr. Peaker studied how doctors screen children for obesity, and worked with the National Football League’s Play60 program to explore the effects of professional athletes promoting healthy behaviors through role modeling. Before joining CDC, Dr. Peaker practiced primary care at a community health center in Raleigh, North Carolina. She continues her clinical work at the Atlanta VA Medical Center.

The most recent article Dr. Peaker first-authored is “Preparticipation physical evaluation: a review of recent guideline updates” (2008).