Carolyn T. Halpern, PhD
Professor and Chair Department of Maternal and Child Health
Faculty Fellow Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute
Faculty Fellow Center for Developmental Science
Faculty Fellow Carolina Population Center
Dr. Halpern is professor and chair of the Department of Maternal and Child Health (MCH) in the Gillings School of Global Public Health. She is also a developmental psychologist and deputy director/co-investigator of the Waves IV and V National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) program project.
Dr. Halpern’s research interests center on improving understanding of healthy sexual development and the implications of adolescent experiences for developmental and demographic processes into adulthood, particularly as these relate to sexual and romantic relationships.
Dr. Halpern has nearly 30 years of research experience in the study of adolescent and young adult sexuality and risk-taking in both U.S. and global settings, and more than 100 peer-reviewed publications on these topics. She has received multiple university-wide and national awards for mentoring and academic leadership.
Honors and Awards
Recipient John E. Larsh Jr. Student Mentorship Award
2016, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Nominated for Carolina Women’s Leadership Council Mentoring Award, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2014, UNC-CH
Nominee for the John Larsh Student Mentorship Award
2014, UNC-CH
Recipient Loretta Lacey Academic Leadership Award
2010, National Association of Teachers of Maternal and Child Health
Recipient National Association of Teachers of Maternal and Child Health Loretta Lacey Academic Leadership Award
2010, UNC-CH
Recipient Graduate School Faculty Award for Excellence in Doctoral Mentoring
2009, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Delta Omega
2007, Honorary Public Health Society
Nominated for Carolina Women’s Leadership Council Mentoring Award, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2007, UNC-CH
Nominated for the Graduate School Faculty Award for Excellence in Doctoral Mentoring, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2007, UNC-CH
Nominated for the Graduate School Faculty Award for Excellence in Doctoral Mentoring, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2006, UNC-CH
Nominee for the Bernard G. Greenberg Alumni Endowment Award
2004, UNC-CH
Nominee for the John Larsh Student Mentorship Award, Spring
2001, n/a
Nominee for McGavran Excellence in Teaching Award, Spring
2000, n/a
Representative Courses
MHCH 685 Human Sexuality | Syllabus
Teaching Interests
Research Activities
Dr. Halpern’s research interests center on improving understanding of healthy sexual development and the implications of adolescent experiences for developmental and demographic processes into adulthood. Her early research focused on the hormonal underpinnings of pubertal change and how the interactions of physical, psychological and social changes contribute to adolescent sexual initiation and behavior. Her current research examines comprehensive sexual initiation patterns among youth, and the implications of those patterns for later sexual behavior and adult health. Most of her research uses data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), for which Dr. Halpern serves as Deputy Director.Service Activities
2017 – present NIH CIHB - Community Influences on Health Behavior Study Section, Standing Member
2016 – present Member of Unintended Pregnancy Priority Working Group, NC State Health Improvement plan
2016 - present Member Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) for NIDDK funded clinical consortium titled Adolescent Bariatrics: Assessing Health Benefits and Risks (Teen-LABS) study
2016 – Present Chair, Resource Development Committee, Sexual Health Initiatives for Teens, North Carolina (SHIFT NC); [Formerly Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina]
2015 – present Associate Editor for Public Health and Policy, Journal of Adolescent Health
2014 – present Member, Dean’s Council
2014 – present Member, Chairs’ Committee
2013 - present Advisory Board Member, Future of Sex Education (FoSE) Collaboration
2013 – Present Member, Board of Directors, Sexual Health Initiatives for Teens, North Carolina (SHIFT NC); [Formerly Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina]
Practice Activities
Program Committee Member for the 2018 Meeting of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine.Organizer and chair for the session “Adolescent Risk Behaviors and Health” for 2018 meeting of the Population Association of America.
Key Publications
Associations between patterns of sexual initiation, sexual partnering, and reproductive health outcomes from adolescence to early adulthood. Kahn N, Halpern CT. (2018). Archives of Sexual Behavior.
View on ReachNC
Experiences of vaginal, oral, and anal sex from adolescence to early adulthood among populations with physical disabilities in the United States. Kahn N, Halpern CT. (2018). Journal of Adolescent Health., 62(3), 294-302.
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School support as structural HIV prevention for adolescent orphans in western Kenya. Cho H, Mbai I, Luseno W, Hobbs M, Halpern C, Hallfors DD (2018). Journal of Adolescent Health., 62(1), 44-51.
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Our Buddies, Ourselves: The Role of Sexual Homophily in Adolescent Friendship Networks. S Trinh, J Lee, C Halpern, J Moody (2018). Child development.
Adherence to gender-typical behavior and high frequency substance use from adolescence into young adulthood. A Wilkinson, P Fleming, C Halpern, A Herring, K Harris (2018). Psychology of men & masculinity, 19(1), 145-155.
Implications of Pubertal Timing for Romantic Relationship Quality Among Heterosexual and Sexual Minority Young Adults. B Reese, S Trinh, C Halpern (2017). The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 61(6), 685-693.
Variability in self-rated health trajectories from adolescence to young adulthood by demographic factors. R Sokol, S Ennett, N Gottfredson, C Halpern (2017). Preventive medicine, 105.
Process Evaluation of a Clinical Trial to Test School Support as HIV Prevention Among Orphaned Adolescents in Western Kenya. D Hallfors, H Cho, S Hartman, I Mbai, C Ouma, C Halpern (2017). Prevention science : the official journal of the Society for Prevention Research, 18(8), 955-963.
Investments in children's health and the Kenyan Cash Transfer for Orphans and Vulnerable Children: Evidence from an Unconditional Cash Transfer Scheme. C Huang, K Singh, S Handa, C Halpern, A Pettifor, H Thirumurthy (2017). Health Policy and Planning, 32(7), 943-955.
Associations between peer network gender norms and the perpetration of intimate partner violence among urban Tanzanian men: A multilevel analysis. M Mulawa, H Reyes, V Foshee, C Halpern, S Martin, L Kajula, S Maman (2017). Prevention Science, 19(4), 427-436.
Associations Between Peer Network Gender Norms and the Perpetration of Intimate Partner Violence Among Urban Tanzanian Men: a Multilevel Analysis. M Mulawa, H Reyes, V Foshee, C Halpern, S Martin, L Kajula, S Maman (2017). Prevention science : the official journal of the Society for Prevention Research.
Process evaluation of a clinical trial to test school support as HIV prevention among orphaned adolescents in western Kenya. D Hallfors, H Cho, S Hartman, I Mbai, C Ouma, C Halpern (2017). Prevention Science, 18(8), 955-963.
The effect of school attendance and school dropout on incident HIV and HSV-2 among young women in rural South Africa enrolled in HPTN 068. M Stoner, A Pettifor, J Edwards, A Aiello, C Halpern, A Julien, A Selin, R Twine, J Hughes, J Wang, Y Agyei, F Gomez-Olive, R Wagner, C Macphail, K Kahn (2017). AIDS (London, England).
Education
PhD, Developmental Psychology, University of Houston, 1982
MA, Developmental Psychology, University of Houston, 1979
BS, Psychology, University of Houston, 1976