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Andrea Richardson

Photo of Andrea Richardson
Associate Policy Researcher; Professor, Pardee RAND Graduate School
Pittsburgh Office

Education

B.S. in math, University of Chicago; M.P.H. in epidemiology, Emory University; Ph.D. in nutrition epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Overview

Andrea Richardson is an associate policy researcher at the RAND Corporation and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. Her research focus is nutrition epidemiology and encompasses the social and biological risk factors that underlie obesity throughout the life course.

In her years of work in the health research field, she has developed a broad knowledge base in population-based and clinical research. Her research interests include the underlying mechanisms between environment, built and social; behaviors, biology (e.g., genetics), and health disparities; and food environments and individual health outcomes.

Richardson has strong statistical skills and publication history in peer-reviewed journals. Her expertise includes complex longitudinal and structural equation modeling to link environmental determinants to obesity disparities in socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. She received her B.S. in math from the University of Chicago; her M.P.H. in epidemiology from Emory University; and her Ph.D. in nutrition epidemiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Research Focus

Pardee RAND Graduate School Courses

Selected Publications

Richardson AS, Meyer KA, Howard AG, Boone-Heinonen J, Popkin BM, Evenson KR, Shikany JM, Lewis CE, Gordon-Larsen, "Multiple pathways from the neighborhood food environment to increased body mass index through dietary behaviors: A structural equation-based analysis in the CARDIA study," Health & Place, 7(36):74-87, 2015

Richardson AS, North KE, Graff M, Young KM, Mohlke KL, Lange LA, Lange EM, Harris KM, Gordon-Larsen P, "Moderate to vigorous physical activity interactions with genetic variants and body mass index in a large US ethnically diverse cohort," Pediatr Obes, 9(2):e35-46, 2014

Richardson AS, Meyer KA, Howard AG, Boone-Heinonen J, Popkin BM, Evenson KR, Kiefe CI, Lewis CE, Gordon-Larsen P, "Neighborhood socioeconomic status and food environment: A 20-year longitudinal latent class analysis among CARDIA participants.," Health & Place, 30:145-153, 2014

Richardson AS, Dietz WH, Gordon-Larsen P, "The association between childhood sexual and physical abuse with incident adult severe obesity: The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health," Pediatr Obes, 9(5):351-361, 2014

Richardson AS, Boone-Heinonen J, Popkin BM, Gordon-Larsen P, "Are neighborhood food resources distributed inequitably by income and race? Epidemiologic findings across the urban spectrum," BMJ Open, 13(2), 2012

Richardson AS, Boone-Heinonen J, Popkin BM, Gordon-Larsen P, "Neighborhood fast food restaurants and fast food consumption: A national study," BMC Public Health, 8(11), 2011

Honors & Awards

  • Graduate Education Advancement Board Impact Award, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Pre-doctoral trainee, Carolina Population Center
  • Royster Society Fellowship, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Publications