Shiriki K. Kumanyika, Ph.D, M.P.H.

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Emeritus Professor of Epidemiology in Biostatistics and Epidemiology
Department: Biostatistics and Epidemiology

Contact information
Education:
B.A. (Psychology)
Syracuse University, 1965.
M.S.
Columbia University School of Social Work, 1969.
Ph.D (Human Nutrition)
Cornell University, 1978.
M.P.H.
Johns Hopkins University, 1984.
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Description of Research Expertise

Dr. Shiriki Kumanyika is emeritus professor of epidemiology in the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. She has an interdisciplinary background and holds advanced degrees in social work, nutrition, and public health. During her tenure on the Penn Medicine faculty, Dr. Kumanyika also served as the Associate Dean for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, held a secondary appointment as Professor of Epidemiology in the Department of Pediatrics (Division of Gastroenterology, Nutrition Section), and was affiliated with numerous Penn institutes and centers. She was the Founding Director of Penn's interdisciplinary, multi-school Master of Public Health program. Dr. Kumanyika's research focuses on identifying effective strategies to reduce nutrition-related chronic disease risks, with a particular focus on achieving health equity for black Americans. Dr. Kumanyika founded (in 2002) and led the African American Collaborative Obesity Research Network (AACORN), a national network, until 2018 when AACORN took on a broader mission and rebranded as the Council on Black Health (www.councilbh.org). She was Vice-Chair of the HHS Secretary's Advisory Committee on Healthy People 2020 objectives, is a past president of the American Public Health Association and is a member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and current chair of the NAM Food and Nutrition Board. Dr. Kumanyika is also a nutrition advisor to the World Health Organization and the World Cancer Research Fund, and Chair of the Expert Group for the Access to Nutrition Initiative.

Selected Publications

Huang Terry T-K, Cawley John H, Ashe Marice, Costa Sergio A, Frerichs Leah M, Zwicker Lindsey, Rivera Juan A, Levy David, Hammond Ross A, Lambert Estelle V, Kumanyika Shiriki K: Mobilisation of public support for policy actions to prevent obesity. Lancet (London, England) 385(9985): 2422-31, Jun 2015.

Powell Lisa M, Wada Roy, Kumanyika Shiriki K: Racial/ethnic and income disparities in child and adolescent exposure to food and beverage television ads across the U.S. media markets. Health & place 29C: 124-131, Jul 2014.

Kumanyika S K, Whitt-Glover M C, Haire-Joshu D: What works for obesity prevention and treatment in black Americans? Research directions. Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity 15 Suppl 4: 204-12, Oct 2014.

Morales Knashawn H, Kumanyika Shiriki K, Fassbender Jennifer E, Good Jerene, Localio A Russell, Wadden Thomas A: Patterns of weight change in black Americans: pooled analysis from three behavioral weight loss trials. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) 22(12): 2632-40, Dec 2014.

Chatterji Madhabi, Green Lawrence W, Kumanyika Shiriki: L.E.A.D.: a framework for evidence gathering and use for the prevention of obesity and other complex public health problems. Health education & behavior : the official publication of the Society for Public Health Education 41(1): 85-99, Feb 2014.

Kumanyika S: INFORMAS (International Network for Food and Obesity/non-communicable diseases Research, Monitoring and Action Support): summary and future directions. Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity 14 Suppl 1: 157-64, Oct 2013.

Kumanyika Shiriki K, Page J Bryan, González Castro Felipe: Forum on culture, health promotion, and health equity: current issues & future directions. Preventive medicine 55(6): 581-2, Dec 2012.

Grier Sonya A, Kumanyika Shiriki K: The context for choice: health implications of targeted food and beverage marketing to African Americans. American journal of public health 98(9): 1616-29, Sep 2008.

Kumanyika, SK, Obarzanek, E, Stettler, N, Bell, R, Field, AE, Fortmann, SP, Franklin, BA, Gillman, MW, Lewis, CE, Poston, WC, Stevens, J, Hong, YL: Population-based prevention of obesity - The need for comprehensive promotion of healthful eating, physical activity, and energy balance - A scientific statement from American heart association council on epidemiology and prevention, interdisciplinary committee for prevention (formerly the expert panel on population and prevention science). Circulation 118(4): 428-464, JUL 22 2008.

Kumanyika, S. K., Whitt-Glover, M. C., Gary, T. L., Prewitt, T. E., Odoms-Young, A. M., Banks-Wallace, J., Beech, B. M., Halbert, C. H., Karanja, N., Lancaster, K. J., Samuel-Hodge, C. D.: Expanding the obesity research paradigm to reach African American communities. Prev Chronic Dis 4(4): A112, 2007.

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Last updated: 11/28/2021
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