Dr. Jonathan Purnell, MD
Not yet claimedPreventive cardiologist, Weight loss doctor · Physician (MD)
Portland, OR
Dr. Jonathan Q. Purnell is a physician on the OHSU Center for Preventive Cardiology team in Portland, Oregon. His work focuses on obesity and metabolic health, and he is listed as accepting new patients.
About Dr. Jonathan Purnell, MD
Updated Sep 20, 2026 · next review Dec 19, 2026Dr. Jonathan Q. Purnell, MD, is an endocrinologist at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland. He directs the Center for Preventive Cardiology at the OHSU Knight Cardiovascular Institute and is a Professor of Medicine at the OHSU School of Medicine. He is also Medical Director of OHSU's Interdisciplinary Weight Management Program. Note that while some listings describe him as a preventive cardiologist, his own institution and professional society identify him as an endocrinologist who leads a preventive cardiology center.
He earned his medical degree at OHSU in 1986, did residency training at the University of Vermont, and completed an endocrinology fellowship at the University of Washington. OHSU lists him as board certified in internal medicine and endocrinology; the Endocrine Society also lists board certification in obesity medicine.
His clinical and research focus is obesity, diabetes, and cardiometabolic health. He wrote the Endotext reference chapter on the definitions, classification, and epidemiology of obesity, and has co-authored review and consensus papers on obesity drugs and lipid disorders. He is listed on The Obesity Society governance page and is part of its Spokesperson Network. An OHSU article says he was among the first preventive cardiology practitioners in the U.S. to treat obesity as a chronic disease rather than a lifestyle choice.
Federal Open Payments data for 2021-2025 show $171,492.35 in industry payments across 108 records, with the largest amounts from Novo Nordisk, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Regeneron. Payments from industry to physicians are common and legal, and are publicly reported.
- Director, preventive cardiology center
- He directs the Center for Preventive Cardiology at the OHSU Knight Cardiovascular Institute and is a Professor of Medicine at OHSU School of Medicine. ohsu.edu
- Board certification
- OHSU lists him as board certified in internal medicine and endocrinology. The Endocrine Society also lists certification in obesity medicine. ohsu.edu
- Weight management program director
- He is Medical Director of the Interdisciplinary Weight Management Program at OHSU and part of the Knight Cardiovascular Institute preventive cardiology group. endocrine.org
- Training background
- Medical degree from OHSU in 1986, residency at the University of Vermont in Burlington, and endocrinology fellowship at the University of Washington in Seattle. ohsu.edu
- Obesity reference author
- He authored the Endotext chapter 'Definitions, Classification, and Epidemiology of Obesity,' last updated May 4, 2023. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Research output
- ResearchGate catalogues 236 research works with about 19,774 citations. His Google Scholar profile lists obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular topics. researchgate.net
- Obesity Society roles
- He is listed on The Obesity Society governance page and is a member of its Spokesperson Network, which notes he has led national efforts to improve medical education in obesity care. obesity.org
- Where he sees patients
- He is listed as accepting new patients at the South Waterfront cardiology clinic, 3303 S. Bond Ave., Portland, and is affiliated with OHSU Hospital's Marquam Hill campus. ohsu.edu
- Industry payments reported
- CMS Open Payments shows $171,492.35 across 108 records for 2021-2025, led by Novo Nordisk ($86,721.43 and $47,922.63 from two entities), Boehringer Ingelheim, and Regeneron. openpaymentsdata.cms.gov
Worth knowing
- Directory listings differ on his specialty. Some describe him as a preventive cardiologist, while OHSU and the Endocrine Society identify him as an endocrinologist who directs a preventive cardiology center. ohsu.edu
- WebMD's directory lists his residency at the University of Washington School of Medicine, which conflicts with OHSU's own listing of the University of Vermont. doctor.webmd.com
- A commercial data-broker page labels him 'TOS President-elect.' This was not confirmed on The Obesity Society's own website. zoominfo.com
- Most of his Open Payments total comes from Novo Nordisk, which makes GLP-1 medicines used in obesity and diabetes care, an area he treats and writes about. Such payments are common and legal, but patients may wish to know of them. openpaymentsdata.cms.gov
- The NPI number 1144236639 listed for him was not independently verified against a federal registry record during this research. ohsu.edu
Industry payments (CMS Open Payments)
Open the CMS recordFederal law requires drug and device companies to report what they pay clinicians: meals, travel, speaking, consulting, and research. Payments are common and legal; the point is that you can see them.
2021 to 2025
$171,492
108 payments
| 2021 | $9,302 |
| 2022 | $37,928 |
| 2023 | $48,268 |
| 2024 | $27,232 |
| 2025 | $48,762 |
Top payers
- Novo Nordisk AS$86,721
- Novo Nordisk Inc$47,923
- Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH$15,542
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.$11,109
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.$8,994
Payment types
- Consulting Fee$111,012
- Travel and Lodging$56,245
- Food and Beverage$4,171
- Education$65
A word of caution about these numbers
A payment does not mean your doctor is compromised or acting unethically. Most of these entries are drug samples left for patients, or lunch brought in for the office staff, and the amounts are usually small. Research funding and speaking at medical meetings are also normal parts of a clinical career.
As a rough guide, a total under $15,000 a year is usually not a concern. Much larger sums, especially from one company whose product your doctor recommends to you, are worth asking about. You are allowed to ask.
Sources: ohsu.edu · ohsu.edu · ohsu.edu · ohsu.edu · ohsu.edu · endocrine.org · scholar.google.com · ohsu.elsevierpure.com. Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we will correct it.
Summary prepared with AI assistance from the public sources linked above, reviewed every three months. It is not a review, a rating, or an endorsement.
Practice location
OHSU Center for Preventive Cardiology
3181 Sw Sam Jackson Park Rd
Portland, OR 97239
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