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Lorenzo N. Hopper, PhD, MPH is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Community Health at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. His work is rooted in a commitment to the pursuit of health equity with a focus on improving maternal and child health (MCH) outcomes. His research focused on understanding father engagement and the ways in which fathers can advance maternal and infant health.

Dr. Hopper earned his PhD in Maternal and Child Health from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health in 2020, his Master of Public Health from East Carolina University in 2013, and his BA from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2010.

Prior to his current appointment, Dr. Hopper served in multiple academic leadership and instructional roles, including adjunct faculty, lecturer, and MPH Program Director. He currently teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in public health, with an emphasis on health equity, behavior change, and maternal and child health.

In 2025, Dr. Hopper received a Distinguished Alumni Early Career Award from the Department of Maternal and Child Health at UNC Chapel Hill. In 2024, Dr. Hopper was selected as elected as one of 10 early and mid-career public health faculty members to the National Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Workforce Development Center Faculty Development Fellowship Program at Diverse Institutions. Dr. Hopper has worked as a research fellow at The Moynihan Institute for Fatherhood Research and Policy since 2023.

Dr. Hopper established and co-leads a faculty-led Charlotte MCH Workgroup. The group aims to foster pathways for intersectional collaborations in order to strengthen effective and comprehensive MCH work that benefits the community. He also advises SHAPE (Students Helping Advance Preconception Education) preconception peer education program at UNC Charlotte.

For collaboration opportunities or to learn more about his work, please contact Dr. Hopper via email.

Selected Publications

  • Huang, J., Low, F.M., Kee, M.Z.L; Hopper, L.N., Sum, K.K., Chung, G.S.K., Kaholokula, J.K., Stephenson, J., Schoenaker, D., & Godfrey, K. (2026). More equitable preconception health: Paternal life-course opportunities for better pregnancy, child, and family outcomes. The Lancet, 407, 1459-1470. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(26)00148-0.
  • Hopper, L.N., Butts, S.*, Mosley, K.,* Stine, S.*, Naqvi, H.*, Blake, K.*, Girmay, A.*, Khinda, N.*, Ganesan, S.*, & Gardner, B.* (2026). Taking SHAPE: Peer Educators’ Insights on Promoting Preconception Health in the College Setting. Health Education Research, 41(2) https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyag002.
  • Shears, J., Hopper, L.N., Bledsoe, S., Miller, D., Roberts, D., Crocker, T., Hodges, B., & Antwi, K. (2026). “Be There, Listen, See What It Is They Need”: Fathers’ Roles in Supporting Black Mothers During Pregnancy. Child & Family Social Work, 1-13. http://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.70179.
  • Shears, J., Miller, D., Hopper, L.N., Bolar, C., Perry, A., & Hodges, B. (2025). The experiences and needs of Atlanta’s young NPU-V black fathers: An exploratory study. Child Welfare, 102(6), 97–120. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48815054. 
  • Hopper, L.N., Yada, F.N., Lacci-Reilly, K., Butts, S., Abdulkareem, O. (2024) A Picture of Perfect Mental Health: Exploring barriers and facilitators to first-generation college student wellness through photovoice. Journal for First-Generation Student Success, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/26906015.2024.2415091
  • Shears, J. Bolar, C.; Hopper, L.N., Wilbon, M., Miller, D., Rudd, C., Smith, A. (2024) Barriers to and Facilitators of paternal engagement for Black fathers in Fulton County, Georgia. Families in Society. https://doi.org/10.1177/10443894241270255
  • Baxter, S, Hopper, L.N., & Spinner, C. (2024) Correlates of sexual behavior across fatherhood status: Finding from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescents to Adult Health (Add Health), 2016-2018. American Journal of Men’s Health. 18(2).
    http://doi.org/10.1177/15579883241239770
  • Hopper, LN, Shanahan, M, Vines, A, Daniels, J, Bharathi, Z, Hussey, J. (2021). Fathers and child health behaviors: assessing father engagement, early childhood diet, and screen time in a national sample of US children. HPHR; 36. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48826414 

Current Research Projects (as PI or Co-PI)

  • Hopper, L. N. & Brown, D. (Principal Investigator). Understanding Young Men’s Perceptions of Fatherhood. Qualitative study examining beliefs, expectations, and early fatherhood identity formation among young men. Ongoing.
  • Gilliam, S. & Hopper, L. N. (Co-Investigator). The Mindful Fatherhood Project. Community-based workshop series exploring mindfulness-based strategies to support paternal mental health and engagement for expectant fathers. Ongoing.

 

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