Katie DiSantis, PhD, MPH

Associate Professor
Associate Director, Institute for Smart & Healthy Cities

DiSantis

Contact

901 Walnut Street
10th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Email Katie DiSantis

215-955-8069

Katie DiSantis, PhD, MPH

Associate Professor
Associate Director, Institute for Smart & Healthy Cities

Research & Practice Interests

Childhood Obesity Prevention
Health Equity
Family Food Purchasing
Food Access and Availability
Racially and Ethnically Targeted Food Marketing
School Nutritional Policy
Infant feeding behaviors
Breastfeeding

Education

PhD, Temple University
MPH, Temple University
BS, Pennsylvania State University

Recent Publications

Teaching

Health Research Methods
Society, Behavior, and Environment
Capstone ILE 

Biography

Dr. Katie Isselmann DiSantis is a public health educator and researcher.  Dr. DiSantis holds a Doctorate in Public Health and MPH in Community Health Education from Temple University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Biobehavioral Health from Penn State University. Her major research interests focus on identifying and analyzing the social, behavioral, and neighborhood factors that impact infant feeding behaviors and childhood obesity risk. Dr. DiSantis’ recent research assesses the healthfulness of family food purchases and the influence of school and neighborhood food environments on child weight status. She has published in top public health, medical, and nutrition journals including Pediatrics, International Journal for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, American Journal of Public Health, American Journal of Preventative Medicine, Appetite, and the International Journal of Obesity and has presented at conferences including American Public Health Association (APHA); International Society for Behavioral Nutrition & Physical Activity (ISBNPA); Society for Behavioral Medicine (SMB); and Association for Prevention, Teaching, and Research (APTR).

Dr. DiSantis was previously faculty at Arcadia University, where she was an Associate Professor, Chair of the Department of Public Health, and Director of the BSPH program.  She taught both undergraduate and graduate students in areas of research methods, nutrition, and health equity, and was awarded the Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award in 2019. She is passionate about training the next generation of public health professionals through teaching and research mentorship.