51¹ÙÍø.

Prior to coming to 51¹ÙÍø, I received a Ph.D. from the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an M.P.H. from the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, and an undergraduate degree in biology from UC Davis. I also worked for several years as a public health practitioner in both the government and a consulting firm, which provides me with a valuable set of applied and cross-sectoral perspectives that inform both my teaching and research.

My dissertation research focused on whether recent policy and practice changes in North Carolina that were designed to boost participation in the School Breakfast Program (SBP) were effective in increasing breakfast participation and subsequently improving student academic and health outcomes. My current research focuses on identifying, analyzing and reducing health disparities in rates of chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease, that are common within the United States and in other countries.  Specifically, my work focuses on public and institutional policies as both sources of and solutions to such health disparities, which are influenced by social and behavioral factors. In particular, I have studied and worked with populations and communities that experience systematic economic, social, and environmental disadvantages and as a result are at greater risk for malnutrition—both undernutrition and overnutrition. I am interested in learning whether and how policy initiatives aimed at increasing access to healthy food and creating environments that are optimal for health can be successfully implemented and ultimately lead to a reduction in health disparities.

When I am not researching or teaching, I enjoy spending time with my husband Graham and two sons, Jordan and Asher.

Teaching

• Public Health
• Global Health
• Epidemiology
• Food and Nutrition Policy