For more than 40 years, Dr. T. Colin Campbell has been at the forefront of nutrition research. His legacy, the China Project, is the most comprehensive study of health and nutrition ever conducted. Dr. Campbell is the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University. He has more than 70 grant-years of peer-reviewed research funding and authored more than 300 research papers. In addition, he is co-author with Thomas Campbell, M.D., of the bestselling book, “The China Study: Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health” and wrote the New York Times bestseller “Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition” with Howard Jacobson, Ph.D.
Overview and Courses
This revolutionary online certificate program will help you understand the importance of diet and nutrition to your life. Created by eCornell and the Center for Nutrition Studies with the participation of over 25 experts (MDs, PhDs, RDs, and RNs), the courses provide research and perspectives to emphasize why following a plant-based diet is optimal for health — including the prevention and management of diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and autoimmune conditions.Through three 2-week online courses, you’ll have the opportunity to examine historic and contemporary research; identify the steps for practical application in your life; and be better prepared to engage in productive conversations with friends, colleagues, clients, or patients about the science behind plant-based nutrition. The foundation of the program is based on Dr. T. Colin Campbell’s lectures, experience, and decades of research.
Over the course of his career, Dr. Campbell has participated in the development of national and international nutrition policy, authored 300+ research papers, and been awarded 70+ grant years of peer-reviewed research funding. He co-authored the worldwide bestselling book The China Study and authored The New York Times bestsellers Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition, The Low-Carb Fraud, and The Future of Nutrition. Several documentaries feature his research, including Forks Over Knives, Eating You Alive, Food Matters, PlantPure Nation, Code Blue, and The Game Changers. Dr. Campbell continues to share evidence-based information on health and nutrition whenever given the opportunity and has delivered thousands of lectures around the world.
Course list
In this course, you will hone your critical thinking skills then apply them to evaluate the state of health in your community and to navigate messages about health and nutrition.
You will also examine evidence-based principles on the benefits of a whole food, plant-based diet and consider nutrition from an expanded perspective — that is, nutrition as a "symphony" of complex interactions rather than the result of individual nutrients and mechanisms — as you differentiate between reductionist and "wholistic" perspectives in nutrition.
Additionally, you will analyze how diet and the environment might affect gut health through the modification of the microbiota. You will then examine the effect of industry and government on public policy and individual food choices.
Featured experts are:
- Samara Sterling, PhD
- Michelle Loy, MD, FAAP, DipABLM, DipABOIM, DABMA
- James Marin, RD, EN
- Dahlia Marin, RDN, LN
- Michele Simon, JD, MPH
This course includes:
- Six quizzes
- Two required discussions
- One optional discussion
- Several activities
- Readings
- Downloadable transcripts
In this course, you will examine the China Project, the most comprehensive study of diet, lifestyle, and disease ever conducted. You will take a closer look at diet's crucial link to chronic diseases worldwide, including cancer, coronary heart disease, diabetes, neurological conditions, and autoimmune disorders. Lastly, you will investigate the scientific evidence supporting a whole food, plant-based diet's ability to prevent and even reverse these chronic diseases.
Featured Experts are:
- Amber Orman, MD
- Dean Ornish, MD
- Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr, MD
- Nicole Harkin, MD, FACC
- Samara Sterling, PhD
- Michael Greger, MD, FACLM
- Neal Barnard, MD
- Eric L. Adams
- Dean Sherzai, MD, PhD, MPH, MAS
- Ayesha Z. Sherzai, MD, MAS
- Brooke Goldner, MD
This course includes:
- Five self-check quizzes
- One required discussion
- Two optional discussion
- Several activities
- Readings
- Downloadable transcripts
The following course is required to be completed before taking this course:
- CNS601 Nutrition and Society
In this course, you will focus on the effects of plant-based eating throughout a lifetime, including its powerful impact on our day-to-day existence. You will explore the practical application of this lifestyle, including its role in raising a healthy family, enjoying longevity and quality of life, improving athletic performance, and ensuring lasting behavior change.
Much of this application includes dispelling popular myths — that children require dairy, that athletes require supplementation, etc. You will also enhance your understanding of personal behavior and the tools that support positive and sustainable lifestyle change.
By the end of this course, you will have the knowledge and confidence to take control of your health and help others do the same.
Featured Experts are:
- Padma Garvey, MD
- Jackie Busse, MD
- Evelisse Capó, PharmD
- Michelle Loy, MD, FAAP, DipABLM, DipABOIM, DABMA
- Robert Cheeke
- Lilian Aguilar
- Matthew Lederman, MD
- Jill Edwards, MS, CEP
- Bruce Monger, PhD
- Allison Wilson, PhD
- Doug Lisle, PhD
- Samara Sterling, PhD
- Brie Turner-McGrievy, PhD, RD
This course includes:
- Three self-check quizzes
- One required discussion
- Two optional discussions
- Several activities
- Downloadable transcripts
- Readings
The following courses are required to be completed before taking this course:
- CNS601 Nutrition and Society
- CNS602 Nutrition and Chronic Disease
How It Works
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Faculty Authors
Dr. Campbell is a board-certified family physician. Thomas is executive director of a nonprofit organization in Ithaca, NY partnering with eCornell (Cornell University’s online education organization) to promote optimal nutrition through science-based education, advocacy, and research. A graduate of Cornell University, Thomas, with his father T. Colin Campbell, PhD, co-authored “The China Study, The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and The Startling Implications for Diet, Weight-Loss, and Long-Term Health.” The book has been a worldwide bestseller. Dr. Campbell continues to have a particularly strong interest in nutrition and lifestyle counseling. With strong evidence that many of the most common chronic diseases can be prevented and treated with lifestyle changes, Dr. Campbell strives to partner with patients to support them in helping them improve their health.
Key Course Takeaways
- Dr. T. Colin Campbell’s 8 Principles of Food and Health
- The role nutrition plays in chronic disease, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and autoimmune disorders
- How nutrition and the environment affect gut health and the microbiome
- Common topics of concern to athletes and fitness enthusiasts, including supplements and protein consumption
- The psychological reasons we are drawn to unhealthy foods
- How government and industry can affect dietary choices and the environment
- The importance of nutrition at each stage of life, beginning with pregnancy through adulthood
- Strategies to support sustainable positive lifestyle change and inspire others

Download a Brochure
Not ready to enroll but want to learn more? Download the certificate brochure to review program details.
What You'll Earn
- Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate from T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies powered by eCornell
- All students will earn 4.8 CEUs
- Physicians/physician assistants eligible to earn 30 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits (CMEs)*
- Nurses/nurse practitioners eligible to earn 30 Nursing Contact Hours (CNEs)*
- Pharmacists eligible to earn 30 Pharmacy CE Hours (CPEs)*
- Dietitians eligible for 30 CPEUs
- National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) members eligible for 2.0 CEUs
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Who Should Enroll
- Anyone seeking to improve their personal health
- Medical and health professionals
- Chefs or food managers
- Athletes and personal trainers
- Parents
- Teachers
- Entrepreneurs
“The Plant-Based Nutrition certificate provides scientific research and evidence-based perspectives supporting a Whole-Food Plant-Based diet’s ability to prevent and reverse chronic diseases. While exploring the key aspects of the science of nutrition, I studied the connection between our bodies, diets, and environments and the compounding impacts of those factors on our overall health. This opened my eyes to the power that each person has towards humankind and planet healing.”
“Excellent overall curriculum for those new to plant-based and those seeking to solidify or expand their knowledge base. The instructors were available and responsive, classmates were engaging, and content was superb. The bonus is that I could fit the courses into my schedule from a few hundred miles away. Love it!”
“I have a M.Sc., Molecular Genetics, as well as Dip.Ed., but this course is single handedly the best and most important course I have ever taken in my life. The application to daily life is direct, and as far as being a teacher, I feel it is of utmost importance that my students are equipped with this knowledge. It has become an extremely important part of my daily life and I can’t thank Dr. T. Colin Campbell enough for building up this program.”
“The course info gave me a better understanding of Diabetes, and helped me design an eating regime—the resources, database, and access to info was extremely helpful in this process. Useful info, for everyone, not just professionals.”
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Plant-Based Nutrition
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