Karin B. Yeatts, PhD

Air pollution, climate change-related health effects and respiratory disease have been the three major themes of Dr. Yeatts' research. As one of few faculty members in the Department of Epidemiology who focus on respiratory disease and air pollution, she has led multiple large interdisciplinary teams to investigate research questions related to those topics.

Her teaching philosophy is based upon the principle of active learning. She designs and teaches courses that focus on collaborative and experiential learning.

Honors and Awards

ASPPH Teaching Excellence Award

2020, Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health

Edward G. McGavran Award for Excellence in Teaching

2019, Gillings School of Global Public Health

Teaching Innovation Award

2019, Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, UNC Chapel Hill

Campus-wide Undergraduate Teaching Award

2015, Student Undergraduate Teaching and Staff Awards Committee at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Representative Courses

Introduction to Public Health (SPHG 350H)

Principles of Epidemiology (EPID 600) | Syllabus

Methods in Field Epidemiology (EPID 759) | Syllabus

Epidemiology for Environmental Scientists and Engineers (ENVR 601)

Teaching Interests

Dr. Yeatts has also taught:
     Data Skills On-line: Methods for Public Health Practice (PUBH 806)
     Exploring Public Health (SPHG 620)

Research Activities

Dr. Yeatts conducted her doctoral research in Charlotte Mecklenburg middle schools. Since that time, she has worked across North Carolina in school systems (499 middle schools in 98 counties) and medical practices.

Service Activities

Dr. Yeatts has served as Co-Chair of the Asthma Alliance of North Carolina since 2005.

Key Publications

Conducting environmental health research in the Arabian middle East: Lessons learned and opportunities. Fatma Al-Maskari, F Al-Maskari, Habiba Ali, H Ali, Maryanne Boundy, M Boundy, Alan Campbell, A Campbell, Ronna Chan, R Chan, Christopher Davidson, C Davidson, Mohamed El-Sadig, M El-Sadig, William Funk, W Funk, Jacqueline Gibson, David Leith, D Leith, J Macdonald Gibson, Shu Ng, S Ng, Andrew Olshan, A Olshan, Barry Popkin, B Popkin, Lisa Reeves, L Reeves, Ivan Rusyn, I Rusyn, Karin Yeatts, K Yeatts (2012). Environmental Health Perspectives, 120(5), 632-636.

Indoor air pollutants and health in the United Arab Emirates. Fatma Al-Maskari, et al., Maryanne Boundy, Ronna Chan, David Couper, Christopher Davidson, Mohamed El-Sadig, William Funk, Jacqueline Gibson, Mohamed Hasan, William Kalsbeek, Maamoon Kassab, David Leith, Andrew Olshan, Ivan Rusyn, Chris Trent, Karin Yeatts, Taoufik Zoubeidi (2012). Environmental Health Perspectives, 120(5), 687-694.

Association of childhood obesity with atopic and nonatopic asthma: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2006. Agustin Calatroni, Julie Daniels, Jay Kaufman, Stephanie London, Anna-Maria Siega-Riz, Cynthia Visness, Karin Yeatts, Darryl Zeldin (2010). Journal of Asthma, 47(7), 822-829.

Education

PhD, Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1997

MS, Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, 1994

MS, Environmental Science and Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1991

AB, Chemistry, Bowdoin College, 1988