Karen Glanz, PhD, MPH is George A. Weiss University Professor, Professor of Epidemiology in the Perelman School of Medicine, Professor of Nursing in the School of Nursing, and Director of the University of Pennsylvania Prevention Research Center. She is also Associate Director for Community Engaged Research and Program Leader for Cancer Control, at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania. She is a Senior Fellow of the Leonard Davis Institute on Health Economics, the Center for Public Health Initiatives, and the Penn Institute for Urban Research, and a Distinguished Fellow of the Annenberg Public Policy Center. She was previously at Emory University (2004-2009), the University of Hawaii (1993 to 2004), and Temple University.
A globally influential public health scholar whose work spans psychology, epidemiology, nutrition and other disciplines, her research in community and health care settings focuses on obesity, nutrition, and the built environment; cancer prevention and control; chronic disease management and control; reducing health disparities; and health communication technologies. Her research and publications about understanding, measuring and improving healthy food environments, beginning in the 1980's, has been widely recognized and replicated. She was a member of the US Task Force on Community Preventive Services from 2006-2016. Her scholarly contributions consist of more than 500 journal articles and book chapters. Dr. Glanz is senior editor of Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory, Research, and Practice (Jossey-Bass Inc.), a widely used text now in its fifth edition (2015).
Karen Glanz has a long history of leading community-based health research and programs, and currently serves in several related roles at the University of Pennsylvania. She is Director of the Community Engagement and Research (CEAR) Core of the UPenn CTSA. Previously, she was Director of the Emory Prevention Research Center, a CDC-funded center emphasizing community-based participatory research, evaluation and training (2004-2009); and the Community Health Research Program at the University of Hawaii’s Cancer Research Center (1995-2004). Dr. Glanz has been recognized with local and national awards for her work, including being appointed to the Advisory Council for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in 2017. Dr. Glanz was elected to membership in the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences in 2013. She was named a Fellow of the Society for Behavioral Medicine and received the Elizabeth Fries Health Education Award. She was designated a Highly Cited Author by ISIHighlyCited.com, in the top 0.5% of authors in her field over a 20-year period since 2006, and was named one of The World's Most Influential Scientific Minds 2015 by Thomson Reuters.
Krista is a Research Project Manager for the Center for Health Behavior Research. Since joining CHBR in 2020, Krista has also worked as a Research Project Manager for the STEP Together Study and a Senior Research Coordinator on the Community Engagement and Research Core. She was previously a Peace Corps Community Health volunteer in Madagascar and a Clinical Research Coordinator in Washington, DC. Krista holds a BA in Anthropology from the University of Chicago and an MPH and MSW from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Josh is the Research Project Manager for CHBR working primarily on STEP Together. Previously, he worked for a Philadelphia-based market research firm where he managed pharmaceutical and healthcare studies. Josh also holds a BA in Economics from Franklin & Marshall College. In his free time, Josh enjoys film, reading, and baseball.
Claudia is a Program Coordinator with the Center for Health Behavior Research. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Advertising with a parallel concentration in Psychology from the University of Miami. She has studied Health Coaching and also completed a 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training. Outside of work, Claudia enjoys spending time in nature, reading, and learning about somatics.
Margaret Clawson is a NEMS Master Trainer and Project Coordinator for the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey (NEMS). She received her Master's degree in Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a concentration in Health Behavior and Health Education. Before attending graduate school, Margaret was a Peace Corps volunteer in Guinea, West Africa. Her interests include participatory research, minority health, obesity prevention, and translation and dissemination of research. Some of her previous work areas include HIV care, HIV prevention, youth empowerment, lay health advisors and Latino health.
Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Francis went to Swarthmore College where he studied Economics and English while pursuing the premedical track. After graduating in 2021, Francis worked as a medical scribe for 2 years for a value-based geriatric network of primary care physicians. He is passionate about improving health outcomes in a preventive capacity for traditionally underrepresented communities. Francis plans on going to medical school and hopes to continue this work as a physician. In his free time he likes to read, exercise, and cook.
Amanda is a postdoctoral fellow for CHBR. She earned her PhD in nutrition science from the University of Delaware where she focused on food acquisition behaviors and diet quality. Amanda is also a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and practiced for 5 years in community and public health nutrition as well individual nutrition counseling prior to earning her PhD. Amanda enjoys running, hiking, and reading in her free time.
Yolande is currently involved with the Community Outreach and Engagement component of the Abramson Cancer Center, and the Healthy Savings Study. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Manchester, U.K., and a Bachelor of Science in Oral Health from the University of Lisbon, Portugal. Her research interests include community health, health promotion and education, and disease prevention. Yolande also enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and working out.
Ashley is a Research Coordinator with CHBR’s STEP Together. Her previous research experience includes multi-site clinical research and social science research. She is a Southern New Jersey native and has earned her BS in Public Health and Sociology from Rutgers University—New Brunswick, with concentration on Health Education & Program Development/Evaluation. Her research interests are in medical innovation, disease prevention, and healthy habit change. Ashley is also a yoga teacher and enjoys doing yoga, traveling, spending time with family & friends, hiking, reading, and exploring new spaces & foods.
Betsy has a background in Communications and Marketing for manufacturing, small business, and tourism. She currently manages seven websites for the Center for Health Behavior Research, as well as the social media channels, and graphic design needs. She enjoys exploring Philadelphia and the Mid-Atlantic coast with her family, after a move from the Midwest in 2016.
Collin is Senior Research Coordinator for CHBR. He is completing his dual MPA/MPH at the University of Pennsylvania with an emphasis on health policy. Before joining the CHBR, he worked on an HIV study at Penn Dental Medicine, and prior to that, at Penn Dermatology. His academic interests include politics, health technology/media, and pharmaceutical policy. Outside of work, he enjoys city walking, reading, and volunteering.
Flora is a currently involving projects with COVID-19 risk perception, knowledge, and behaviors, evaluating a ban of common sunscreen ingredients in Hawaii, STEP Together, and the Real-time Incentives for Fruits and Vegetables. Flora earned a Bachelor’s degree in Medicine from Jinan University in China, and a Master’s degree in Public Health in Epidemiology from Indiana University. With over 17 years’ experience as a professional data analyst in health outcome research at the UPenn Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (CCEB), her research involved projects with veterans with lower extremity amputation, veterans post-stroke rehabilitation, and aging populations with or without disabilities, the PRC Healthy Weigh Study, and the Healthy Retail Solutions Study. Living with her husband and two home-away adult sons, her leisure time is spent on Ikebana flower arrangement, volunteering in the community, hiking, reading, and traveling around the world with family.
Caleb is a medical student at Drexel University College of Medicine. He joined CHBR after participating in the NIDDK Medical Student Research Program in Diabetes. Before medical school, he attended Case Western Reserve University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music with minors in chemistry and biology. His research interests are primarily in healthcare disparities and preventive medicine. Outside of medicine, he enjoys music and playing his cello.
Sena is a Research Coordinator for the Center for Health Behavior Research working primarily for the STEP Together study. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology with a co-major in Global Health at Duke University. Previously, she has worked as a Research Coordinator at the Center for Technology and Behavioral Health at Dartmouth College. In her free time, Sena enjoys reading, spending time with family and friends, and traveling.
Emma is a research coordinator for CHBR. She earned her BS in Exercise and Sports Science from Temple University and is currently pursuing her MPH degree at Drexel University. Her previous research experience includes clinical trials with individuals with addiction disorders and exercise intervention for individuals with anxiety. Her research interests include clinical trials related to behavioral and mental health, and physical activity.