Heather Wasser, PhD

About

Dr. Wasser’s work focuses on the development of behavioral interventions to promote optimal infant feeding practices, dietary intake, growth and child development. She is particularly interested in the bidirectional influences between infant behavior and the feeding practices of mothers and other caregivers, namely fathers and grandmothers. Her research seeks to advance the field of behavioral interventions during the first 1,000 days through the application of complex theories of social support and cutting-edge design methodologies. Dr. Wasser is a Registered Dietitian and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant with both domestic and global intervention experience.

Heather Wasser in the Gillings News

Honors and Awards

Geraldine M. Piper Memorial Scholarship
2011, American Dietetic Association Foundation

Pre-doctoral Traineeship in Maternal and Child Obesity
2008-2010, Interdisciplinary Obesity Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Research Activities

Caregiver feeding practices, infant and toddler dietary intakes, nutritional status, growth and development; Determinants of adherence to optimal feeding recommendations for children birth to two years; Behavioral interventions to promote optimal growth and development of infants and toddlers; Role of non-maternal caregivers in in the development of infant and young child food preferences and the design of social support interventions for women with young children; Family communication theories; mobile technologies for health interventions

Education