Dr. Kirsten Davison

Biography

Kirsten K. Davison is an Adjunct Professor of Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Her research primarily focuses on family- and community-level factors that influence children's lifestyle behaviors, such as diet, physical activity, and screen-based activities that contribute to obesity risk. Key subjects of her investigation include the familial clustering of risk behaviors associated with accelerated weight gain in children, the psychosocial consequences of obesity during childhood, and parenting strategies that promote active lifestyles among children. Davison emphasizes the development and evaluation of family-centered interventions aimed at preventing obesity in low-income children, particularly those enrolled in programs like WIC and Head Start. Her work advocates for a holistic family approach, addressing a wide range of factors—including community resources and media influences—that impact family interactions regarding healthy lifestyle choices. In addition, she is focused on developing conceptual models that provide a better understanding of the contextual and developmental behavioral origins of obesity in children and adolescents.

Research Interests

Experience