Carolyn T. Halpern, PhD

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 a developmental psychologist and served as the deputy director of the Waves IV and V National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health program projects from 2006 to 2020. She is currently the co-PI of the NIH funded project “Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity, Socioeconomic Status, and Health Across the Life Course.”

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 most recent work focuses on identifying the mechanisms that underlie health disparities among sexually diverse populations, and disparities linked to gender expression.

Dr. Halpern has more than 30 years of research experience in the study of adolescent and young adult sexuality in both U.S. and global settings. She has authored/co-authored 170 peer-reviewed publications and 17 book chapters on these topics. Dr. Halpern 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

Research Methods in MCH

Research and Evaluation in MCH

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 later work on sexual trajectories examined comprehensive sexual initiation patterns among youth, and the implications of those patterns for later sexual behavior and adult health. Most recently, Dr. Halpern has focused on the health of LGBTQ populations, with the aim of understanding mechanisms that underlie health disparities and resilience. Toward this end, the “Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity, Socioeconomic Status, and Health Across the Life Course” study has collected new data from a subset of Add Health respondents.

Service Activities

2017 – 2021  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

Adolescent health. In: Kirby RS, Verbiest S, editors. . Halpern CT, Barry MC, Haydon A. (2022). Maternal and Child Health: Problems, Programs, and Policy in Public Health.

Biomarkers of prepregnancy allostatic load and subsequent birth outcomes. Barry M, Zimmer C, Halpern CT. (2022). SSM – Population Health.

Sexual partner accumulation from adolescence to early adulthood in populations with physical disabilities in the United States. Kahn NF, Halpern CT. (2021). Journal of Adolescent Health.
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Transitioning a panel survey from in-person to predominantly web data collection: Results and lessons learned. Biemer PP, Harris KM, Burke BJ, Liao D, Halpern CT (2021). Journal of the Royal Statistical Society.

The association between early reports to Child Protective Services, interpersonal contextual factors and developmental trajectories through middle childhood. Chandler CE, Shanahan ME, Halpern CT. (2021). Child Abuse and Neglect.
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Race/Ethnicity, Gender, and Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms Across Early- and Mid-Life Among the Add Health Cohort. Hargrove TW, Halpern CT, Gaydosh L, Hussey JM, Whitsel EA, Dole N, Hummer RA, Harris KM (2020). Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities.
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Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration and Victimization among Young Adult Sexual Minorities in a Nationally Representative US Sample. Swiatlo A, Kahn N, Halpern CT (2020). Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health.

Is developmental change in gender typed behavior associated with adult sexual orientation? Kahn NK, Halpern CT (2019). Developmental Psychology.
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Metabolic syndrome and economic strain among sexual minority young adults. Goldberg SK, Conron KJ, Halpern CT (2019). LGBT Health.
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Sexual orientation and sex differences in socioeconomic status: A population-based investigation in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Conron KJ, Goldberg S, Halpern C (2018). Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

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.
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Sexual partner accumulation from adolescence to early adulthood in populations with physical disabilities in the United States. Kahn NF, Halpern CT. (2021). Journal of Adolescent Health, 68(5), 991-998.
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Subjective Health: Comparing the reliability of contemporaneous, retrospective, and proxy reports of overall health. 2. Bollen K, **Gutin I, Halpern CT, Harris KM. (2021). Social Science Research, 96.
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Development of a Method for Identifying Individuals with Intellectual Disability within a Population Study. **Franklin MS, Silva SG, Maslow GR, Halpern CT, Merwin EI, Docherty SL. (2020). Nursing Research, 69(6), 436–447.

Preterm birth and receipt of postpartum contraception among women with Medicaid in North Carolina. Tucker CM, Berrien K, Menard MK, Herring AH, Daniels J, Rowley D, Halpern CT. (2020). Maternal and Child Health Journal, 24(5), 640–650.

Patterns of risk and protective factors among Alaska children: Association with maternal and child wellbeing. Austin AE, Gottfredson NC, Halpern CT, Zolotor AJ, Marshall SW, Parrish JW, Shanahan ME. (2020). Child Development.

Heterogeneity in risk and protection among Alaska Native/American Indian and non- Native children. Austin AE, Gottfredson NC, Marshall SW, Halpern CT, Zolotor AJ, Parrish JW, Shanahan ME. (2020). Prevention Science, 21(1), 86-97.

Preconception and prenatal predictors of early experiences of risk and protection among Alaska children. Austin AE, Gottfredson NC, Zolotor AJ, Halpern CT, Marshall SW, Parrish JW, Shanahan ME.  (2020). Maternal and Child Health Journal, 24(1), 82-89.

Race/Ethnicity, Gender, and Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms Across Early- and Mid-Life Among the Add Health Cohort. Hargrove TW, Halpern CT, Gaydosh L, Hussey JM, Whitsel EA, Dole N, Hummer RA, Harris KM. (2020). Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities.

Research note: A prenotice greeting card’s impact on response rates and response times. Griggs AK, Powell RJ, Keeney J, Waggy M, Harris KM, Halpern CT, Dean S. (2019). Longitudinal and Life Course Studies, 10(4), 421-432.

Maltreatment experience in childhood and average excess body mass from adolescence to young adulthood. Sokol R, Ennett ST, Shanahan ME, Gottfredson NC, Poti JM, Halpern CT, Fisher EB. (2019). Child Abuse and Neglect..

Is developmental change in gender typed behavior associated with adult sexual orientation? Kahn NK, Halpern CT. (2019). Developmental Psychology., 55(4), 855–865.

The Depths of Despair Among US Adults Entering Midlife. L Gaydosh, R Hummer, T Hargrove, C Halpern, J Hussey, E Whitsel, N Dole, K Harris. (2019). American Journal of Public Health, 109(5), 774-780.

Transitioning from in-person mode to web-mail mixed mode in a panel survey. D Liao, P Biemer, K Harris, B Burke, C Halpern. (2019).

Intergenerational effects of mass incarceration: Parental incarceration and children’s earnings in young adulthood. M Turner, C Halpern. (2019).

Effects of Two Educational Posters on Contraceptive Knowledge and Intentions: A Randomized Controlled Trial. S Anderson, L Frerichs, A Kaysin, S Wheeler, C Halpern, K Lich (2019). Obstetrics and gynecology, 133(1), 53-62.

Halpern CT, Harris KM. Subjective Health: Comparing the reliability of contemporaneous, retrospective, and proxy reports of overall health. Bollen K, **Gutin I, Halpern CT, Harris KM. (2021). Social Science Research., 96.
View publication

Metabolic Syndrome and Economic Strain Among Sexual Minority Young Adults. S Goldberg, K Conron, C Halpern (2019). LGBT health, 6(1), 1-8.

Variations in the timing of first sexual experiences among populations with physical disabilities in the United States. N Kahn, C Suchindran, C Halpern (2019). Disability and health journal, 12(2), 155-163.

Education

PhD, Developmental Psychology, University of Houston, 1982

MA, Developmental Psychology, University of Houston, 1979

BS, Psychology, University of Houston, 1976