Richard L. Atkinson, M.D. graduated from the Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, and trained in Endocrine-Metabolism at UCLA-Harbor General Hospital, Torrance, CA, and Walter Reed Army Hospital. He is Clinical Professor of Pathology, Virginia Commonwealth University; Editor of the International Journal of Obesity and of Nutrition and Diabetes; and a Member, Board of Directors, International Association for the Study of Obesity.

He is the owner of Obetech, LLC, Richmond, VA. This company sells diagnostic tests for adenoviruses that produce obesity and other diseases. Obetech has multiple patents in the area of virus-induced obesity, diagnostic assays, antiviral agents, and vaccines.