Biography

Emma Sanchez-Vaznaugh, Sc.D., M.P.H. is associate professor in the Department of Health Education at San Francisco State University (SFSU) and affiliated faculty at the Center on Social Disparities in Health, University of California, where she completed a postdoctoral research program as a Kellogg Health Scholar. She received her MPH from San Francisco State University, and doctorate of science in Social Epidemiology from Harvard University. Dr. Sanchez-Vaznaugh is a social epidemiologist whose research focuses on two interrelated strands: social inequalities in health and the extent to which environments and policies impact (or not) population patterns of disease overall and according to race or ethnicity, immigrant and socioeconomic status. Her research includes studies on the impact of school-based nutrition and physical education policies on population patterns of childhood obesity and fitness across racial or ethnic groups, and the potential role of nearby school environments in the variability of children’s health. Dr. Sanchez-Vaznaugh has received research support from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Salud America! research network to prevent obesity among Latino children and Healthy Eating Research programs, SFSU Provost research awards, and The W.K. Kellogg Foundation as well as translational research support from the Kaiser Permanente’s Kris Burch Minority Leadership Awards program. Dr. Sanchez-Vaznaugh presently receives research support to study multilevel influences on childhood obesity disparities from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute and SFSU’s Office of research and Sponsored Programs, and translational research support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Active Living Research national program. Dr. Sanchez-Vaznaugh recently served on the Institute of Medicine Committee on Physical Activity and Physical Education in the School Environment.