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Alicia A. Dahl, MS., Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in the Department of Epidemiology and Community Health. Dr. Dahl graduated from the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina with a Ph.D. in Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior (2018). Prior, Dr. Dahl received a Masters of Science in Health Promotion from the University of Delaware (2013) and a Bachelors of Science in Global Health and Communications from Juniata College (2011).

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CURRENT CV AVAILABLE HERE – JULY 2024

Research

Research Interests/Areas of Expertise

  • Women’s Health, Maternal and Child Health
  • Mental Health Promotion
  • Nutrition and Physical Activity Behaviors
  • Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Methods of Expertise

  • Health Behavior Change Strategies (Motivational Interviewing, Health Coaching)
  • Technology-Based Interventions (Mobile Apps, Social Media, Websites, Podcasts)
  • Mixed Methods Research
  • Science Communication

Dr. Dahl has built a solid foundation for independent and interdisciplinary public health research, specifically focused on understanding health behaviors and promoting healthy lifestyles during transitional life phases. She conducts research on weight-related behaviors and mental health using digital intervention strategies. Her research among maternal and child populations is significant for identifying resource gaps and testing interventions to improve the perinatal health experience. This work continues into parenthood, ensuring access to nutritious meals for young children. Given the large proportion of the young adult population that attends college, her research exploring health-related policies and campus programs contributes meaningful findings for improving students’ physical and mental health.

Women’s Health – Maternal & Child Health Focus

During her doctoral training, Dr. Dahl served as a graduate research assistant for the Health in Pregnancy and Postpartum (HIPP) Study led by Drs. Wilcox & Liu at the University of South Carolina. In this role, Dr. Dahl provided intervention support through recruitment and program delivery. She developed 24 podcasts based on the Diabetes Prevention Program and worked 1-on-1 as a health coach with pregnant and postpartum participants. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1551714417307619

Additionally, Dr. Dahl received a series of national and local awards for her dissertation titled, “Healthy Motivation for Moms-To-Be: Development and implementation of a mobile health intervention targeting gestational weight gain among pregnant women in the U.S.” As Principal Investigator, Dr. Dahl combined her interests in the use of technology-supported intervention components and health behavior change strategies to develop a mobile website for healthy gestational weight gain and stress reduction during pregnancy. She is currently leading an extensive systematic review exploring the use of mobile health for gestational weight gain. https://doi.org/10.2196/50145

At UNC Charlotte, Dr. Dahl co-leads a Maternal Child Health Workgroup, which provides space for collaboration and sharing. Dr. Dahl’s lab group explored how various social determinants of health served as barriers or enabling factors for prenatal health care among Black and African American women during the COVID-19 pandemic. This project was funded through competitive internal grants and was completed in partnership with Atrium Health. https://reproductive-health-journal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12978-023-01670-4

In her commitment to improve community health outcomes for pregnant and postpartum people, Dr. Dahl served as a consultant for Smart Start of Mecklenburg County on a project led by Atrium Health to develop an online perinatal community resource hub for Black families. https://www.atriumhealth.org/meckbirth

As a research mentor, Dr. Dahl provides guidance on student projects related to doula care, pregnancy embodiment, maternal wellbeing, and health disparities. Check out mentee-led research publications:

  • Lisenbee, J., Webb, J.B., Gil-Rivas, V., Quinlan, M.M., Dahl, A.A. (2023) Examining birth doulas’ role in supporting psychological adaptation processes: A qualitative analysis of interventions delivered during COVID-19. Women’s Reproductive Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/23293691.2023.2285273 
  • Mooney, J., Webb, J.B., Armstrong, L., Dahl, A.A. (2023). Caring for myself while I’m growing somebody else: Mindful self-care buffers between pregnancy body disconnection and distress. Body Image, 45, 296-306. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.03.009

From 2019-2023, Dr. Dahl served as the leader for the Women’s Health Special Interest Group of the Society of Behavioral Medicine. As part of her MCH advocacy, she coauthored a policy position piece with several research collaborators and student mentees about expanding Medicaid: https://academic.oup.com/tbm/article-abstract/14/5/298/7615794?redirectedFrom=fulltext

Mental Health Promotion

Dr. Dahl combines her extensive training in health behavior change strategies with the use of technology-supported intervention components to turn evidence-based practices into health education and promotion. With the awareness and contributions of a former student-athlete, Abigail Coffey, the two joined together to develop a series of health promotion podcasts aimed at increasing student-athletes’ coping strategies for mental health challenges. This work was funded by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the podcasts were publicly and freely available to all website subscribers.

Combining her digital health intervention interests with the topic of mental health, Dr. Dahl partnered with faculty across campus to investigate privacy concerns of mobile apps for mental health promotion and management. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34951604/

As a major point of collaboration in this area of her research, Dr. Dahl has partnered with several faculty and students to explore the mental health of sexual and gender minoritized communities. Check out:

  • Dahl, A.A., Cramer, R.J., Gemberling, T., Wright, S., Wilsey, C.N., Bowling, J., & Golom, F.D. (2023). Exploring the prevalence and characteristics of self-labelled identity, coping, and mental health among BDSM-practicing adults in the United States. Psychology & Sexuality. https://doi.org/10.1080/19419899.2023.2203134
  • Kaniuka, A., Bowling, J., Wright, S., Dahl, A.A., Basinger, E.D., Benson, J.K., Stambaugh, R., & Cramer, R.J. (2023) Psychometric properties of the Brief Resilience Scale among alt-sex community members. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605231188055

Weight-Related Behaviors & Outcomes

Before pursuing her doctoral training, Dr. Dahl served as a Research Specialist and Data Analyst for the School District of Philadelphia’s SNAP-Ed evaluation team. She also supported the work of Project Vida Sana, an exploratory nutrition and childhood obesity study with a migrant farm-worker Hispanic Community in Kennett Square, PA. Now at UNC Charlotte, she teaching courses related to public health nutrition and physical activity for different populations. In partnership with the Cabarrus Health Alliance, she co-led a project aimed at improving the dinner meals of families with children in daycare programs. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666322004238

Dr. Dahl’s current work explores the physical health of college students and the healthfulness of campus food environments. From 2022-2024, her lab group explored the effects of the first year campus experience on chronic conditions and health risks: The Campus Health Lifestyles, Outcomes, & Experiences (CHLOE) Study is funded by Texas A&M University. Her team also recently published a review of campus food environment contracts. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20166617

Science Communication via Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

The “Paper Chase” method started as a rapid research dissemination strategy for teams to develop an academic publication in a short time frame (e.g., 24 hours). Having successfully published two manuscripts as a graduate student practicing this method, Dr. Dahl co-developed a professional development program at UNC Charlotte to train and facilitate teams of students and faculty in disseminating research. To date, over 100 students and faculty at UNC Charlotte have been trained. https://doi.org/10.1177/14697874221099011

Teaching

  • Bachelor’s of Science in Public Health (BSPH)
    • HLTH 3103 Behavior Change Theories and Practice
    • HLTH 3105 Public Health Education and Promotion
  • Bachelor’s of Health Systems Management (HSMT)
    • HSMT 2101 Intro to Health Professions
  • Master’s of Public Health (MPH)
    • HLTH 6227 Community Health Planning and Evaluation
    • HLTH 6104 Population Perspectives on Nutrition and Physical Activity
  • Doctorate of Public Health Sciences (PhD)
    • HLTH 8602 Communicating and Disseminating Research
    • HLTH 8603 Teaching Portfolio
  • University Honors Program
    • The Pursuit of Happiness for Health

Certifications

  • Green Dot on Campus, Violence Prevention Program, Trainer (2023)
  • Mental Health First Aid (2023)

Awards & Honors

  • Delta Omega, UNC Charlotte, Faculty Inductee 2023, Member
  • The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, UNC Charlotte, Member
  • 2022 CHHS Education Innovation Fellow, UNC Charlotte
  • 2021-2022 Research Fellow, Office of Undergraduate Research, UNC Charlotte
  • 2021 Faculty Excellence Award in Online Teaching, College of Health & Human Services, UNC Charlotte
  • 2019 Catalyst Program
  • 2018 Excellence in Research Award, Society of Behavioral Medicine
  • 2017 Norman and Gerry Sue Arnold Emerging Scholar in Childhood Obesity, University of South Carolina