Population Health Faculty and Research
The College of Health Solutions aims to discover approaches to maintaining and improving the health of entire populations and reducing inequalities in health between groups of people. We use a multidisciplinary approach blending the disciplines of public health/health promotion, biomedical informatics, health economics, nutrition, exercise science, and health care delivery to achieve new discoveries. We also employ a multi-level strategy with studies focused on individuals, social networks, communities, institutions, policies, systems, and environments to better understand the determinants of health.
A few examples of our work include:
- Development of gender-specific and culturally-tailored healthy lifestyle interventions for racial/ethnic minority men
- Examination of the strength and shape of relationships between environmental characteristics and physical activity, dietary patterns, and obesity
- Applying patient-centered and systems engineering approaches to improve access to care for those in greatest need (poor, uninsured or underinsured)
- Exploring behavioral economics and incentive structures to transform health care delivery and disease management
- Nutritional strategies to enhance cardiometabolic health and the prevention and management of chronic disease
Helitzer's research has focused on health outcome improvements through interventions in communities and in clinical settings.
Physician thought leader in improving health care delivery, implementation science, systems redesign and biomedical informatics. His research focuses on high impact interventions and applications to improve care delivery.
Dr. Leischow's research is clinical and translational, with a focus on pharmacologic and behavioral treatments for tobacco dependence, tobacco regulatory science, and systems and network approaches to population health.
Ohri-Vachaspati is a professor of nutrition and leads the ASU Food Environment and Policy research group. Her research examines social and ecological determinants of health, specifically in low-income minority communities.
Riley is a leading authority in health care finance. He is also a national and international expert in quality improvement methods, techniques, and implementation.
Wang's research focuses on modeling and representation of biomedical knowledge in computer-interpretable format and delivery of technology-mediated behavioral interventions in health care processes and patient outcome
Dr. Adams is a behavioral scientist and epidemiologist with a background in psychology, behavioral sciences and public health.
Berkel studies health disparities and the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based programs
Meg Bruening's research interests include public health nutrition promotion and obesity prevention targeted to underserved, vulnerable youth and families.
Der Ananian's research interests involve the promotion of physical activity for older adults with emphasis on utilizing physical activity as a secondary prevention strategy for chronic illnesses.
Lee's research focuses on cardiovascular disease and chronic disease epidemiology and health informatics.
McCullough's research involves quantifying investments in public health and social services and assessing how these investments are put to use in order to improve population health.
Dr. Tasevska is a nutrition scientist and nutritional epidemiologist. She joined ASU in 2013.
Koskan is a public health and health communication researcher by training. The goals of her research are to prevent and control cancers caused by human papillomavirus (HPV).
Kathy Dixon is a clinical professor. She teaches courses in food science and nutrition. Her research interests include food service in healthcare and institutional settings, and pediatric diet therapy.
Dahl-Popolizio has more than 20 years of experience as an occupational therapist (OT). Her research foci: OT in population health management, and on the integrated interprofessional primary care team.
Manson's specialty is within the area of building fiscally sustainable integrated health care with identifiable return on investment and cost savings.
Reddy’s primary research interests are how law and policy can be utilized as tools to improve population health outcomes, reduce health disparities and inequities.
Williams is the past associate director of the Mayo Clinic/ASU Obesity Solutions initiative.
Sebren's teaching and scholarly interests are focused on the efficacy of mindfulness for reduced stress, improved health and health behavior change.
Dr. Gregory-Mercado has 20+ years of experience in health education planning, implementation, promotion and evaluation, qualitative and quantitative data collection design, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination.
Dr. Miller's research interests include experiential learning in post-secondary education and community development through urban agriculture.
Dr. Savaglio Battles teaches public health, health education, and health sciences classes in the College of Health Solutions.
Smith's research interests include mindfulness, bariatric surgery, substance abuse, meditation and obesity.
Aguila is an Exercise and Wellness instructor with an interest in health coaching, worksite wellness, and the Hispanic community.
Ainsworth is a Regents Professor Emerita with expertise in physical activity assessment. She is the lead author for the Adult Compendium of Physical Activity.
Huberty's research interests include using digital interventions to improve mental and physical health in women and blood cancer patients.
Dr. Wilson's research area is unique device identification (UDI) implementation in hospital systems and UDI use.