Denise Diaz Payan

Picture of Denise Diaz Payan
Associate Professor, Health, Society, and Behavior
Public Health
PhD, University of Southern California, 2015, Public Policy and Management
M.P.P., Harvard Kennedy School, 2010, Health Care Policy
University of California, Irvine

Irvine, CA 92697
Research Interests
health policy; obesity; nutrition; food security; state policy; advocacy coalitions; evaluation; implementation; global health
Appointments
Postdoctoral Scholar, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health Dept of Health Policy and Management, 2015-2017
Awards and Honors
Hispanic Lifestyle Latina of Influence Award (2021)
Health Career Connection’s 30 Inspiring & Impactful Alumni (2020)
Paper of the Year - Honorable Mention by the Journal of the American Planning Association (2017)
Short Biography
Dr. Payán is a health policy researcher whose interests include examining health policymaking and implementation; evaluating interventions to address obesity and nutrition-related health disparities; and understanding how policy impacts health behavior. She also conducts state and local policy surveillance research. Dr. Payán has collaborated on process and impact evaluations and contributed to community-engaged research studies implemented in a variety of settings, including schools, faith-based organizations, safety net clinics, and academic medical centers. Her work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), UC Office of the President Research Grants Program Office, and the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) and the Banatao Institute. She serves on the editorial boards for Health Education & Behavior and the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Last updated
10/09/2023