Barbara ​Laraia, PhD, MPH, RD

Professor, Community Health Sciences
  • Chair, Public Health Nutrition Program

Barbara Laraia is a Professor of Community Health Sciences whose research focuses on the influence of contextual level effects on dietary intake, cardiometabolic risk factors and pregnancy outcomes, especially among vulnerable populations.

Biography

Barbara Laraia is a Professor of Community Health Sciences at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. Dr. Laraia’s research program focuses on the influence of contextual level effects on dietary intake, cardiometabolic risk factors and pregnancy outcomes, especially among vulnerable populations. Contextual level effects refer to the household food environment, namely household food insecurity, as well as the neighborhood or built environment measured as one’s food, physical activity and social environment.

Research Interests

  • Household food insecurity
  • Food and social environment
  • Health disparities
  • Perinatal Epidemiology
  • Obesity
  • Diabetes
  • Dietary assessment methods

Education

  • PhD – Nutrition
    University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 1999
  • MPH – Nutrition
    University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 1994
  • BS – Hospital Dietetics
    University of Illinois, 1984

Publications

Courses Taught

    • PH 206
    • Critical Issues in Public Health Nutrition
    • PH 206B
    • Food and Nutrition Policies and Programs
    • PH 206C
    • Nutritional Epidemiology
    • PH 207A
    • Public Health Aspects of Maternal and Child Nutrition
    • PH 292.003
    • Integrated Learning Experience