Meghan Shanahan, PhD

About

Dr. Shanahan is an associate professor with more than 10 years of experience as researcher who specializes in child health and well-being. 

The underlying motivation for Dr. Shanahan’s research is to improve the health and developmental trajectories of children. Her research focuses on adverse events that potentially influence these trajectories and prevent children from realizing their full potential. Since child maltreatment is one obvious insult to the health and development of children, documenting the magnitude, etiology, and impact of child maltreatment has been a focus of Dr. Shanahan’s work. Examining prevention strategies to reduce child abuse and neglect is another main focal point of her research. She has evaluated prevention strategies at both the family and the policy level. Dr. Shanahan is committed to translating research into tangible products and policies that have a positive impact on children and families.

Meghan Shanahan in the Gillings News

Honors and Awards

Edward G. McGavran Award for Excellence in Teaching
2021, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Provost Award for Engaged Scholarship
2019, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Teaching Excellence and Innovation Award Gillings School of Global Public Health, UNC-CH
2018, UNC-CH

Delta Omega
2015, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Gillings School of Global Public Health

Representative Courses

MHCH 701- Foundations of Maternal and Child Health

Research Activities

Principal Investigator, Prescription Drug Overdose: Prevention for States.

Principal Investigator, Implementation of the Essentials for Childhood: Safe, Stable, Nurturing Relationships and Environments.

Service Activities

2018  Department of Maternal and Child Health Doctoral Comprehensive Exam

2017-present  Department of Maternal and Child Health, Master’s Committee

2016-present  Department of Maternal and Child Health, Alumni Committee

2015-present  Project NO REST

Practice Activities

Infant abandonment and maltreatment. Child Fatality Task Force Intentional Death Committee. November 8th, 2017. Raleigh, NC.

Child maltreatment and opioids. Child Fatality Task Force Intentional Death Committee. October 10th, 2017. Raleigh, NC.

Overdose risk among justice involved individuals. NC DHHS Opioid and Prescription Drug Advisory Committee. September 29th, 2017. Raleigh, NC.

Prescription Drug Overdose: Prevention for States evaluation and surveillance projects. Tracking and Measuring the Opioid Epidemic as a Prevention Tool Webinar. August 17th, 2017.

Key Publications

Prenatal substance exposure and child maltreatment: A systematic review. Austin AE, Gest C, Atkeson A, Berkoff MC, Puls HT, Shanahan ME. (2021). Child Maltreatment.
View publication

Material hardship and suicidal behavior: Associations among parents and non-parents. Austin AE, Shanahan ME (2020). Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, Dec 6.
View publication

Sensitive periods for the association between childhood maltreatment and BMI. Sokol RL, Gottfredson NC, Poti JM, Shanahan ME, Halpern CT, Fisher EB, Ennett ST. (2020). American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 57(4), 495-502.

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).

The Mortality After Release from Incarceration Consortium (MARIC): Protocol for a multi-national, individual participant data meta-analysis. Borschmann R, Tibble H, Spittal MJ, Preen D, Pirkis J, Larney S, Rosen DL, Young J, Love A, Altice FL, Binswanger IA, Bukten A, Butler T, Chang Z, Chen CY, Clausen T, Christensen P, Culbert, G, Degengardt L, Dirkzwager AJE, Dolan K, Fazel S, Fischbacher C, Giles M, Graham L, Harding D, Huang YF, Huber F, Karaminia A, Kouyoumdjian FG, Lim S, Møller L, Moniruzzaman A, Morenoff J, O’Moore E, Pizzicato LN, Pratt D, Proescholdbell SK, Ranapurwala SI, Shanahan ME, Shaw J, Somers J, Spaulding A, Stern MF, Viner KM, Wang N, Willoughby M, Kinner SA. (2020). Journal of Population Data Science, 5(1), 6-13.

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

Patterns of Adverse Childhood Experiences and subsequent risk of interpersonal violence perpetration among men in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Zietz S, Kajula L, Reyes HLM, Moracco B, Shanahan M, Martin S, Maman S. (2019). Child Abuse & Neglect, 99(104256).

Impact of a community-based naloxone distribution program on opioid overdose death rates. Naumann RB, Durrance CP, Ranapurwala SI, Austin AE, Proescholdbell S, Childs R, Marshall SW, Kansagra S, Shanahan ME. (2019). Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 204.

Preconception and prenatal predictors of early experiences of risk and protection among Alaska children. Austin AE, Gottfredson NC, Marshall SW, Halpern CT, Zolotor AJ, Parrish JW, Shanahan ME. (2019). Maternal and Child Health Journal, 24.

Restrictive housing during incarceration is associated with increased post-release mortality. Brinkley-Rubinstein L, Sivaraman JC, Rosen DL, Cloud DH, Junker G, Proescholdbell S, Shanahan ME, Ranapurwala S. (2019). JAMA Network Open, 2(10).

A quasi-experimental effectiveness study of Triple P on Child Maltreatment. Schilling S, Lanier P, Rose RA, Shanahan M, Zolotor AJ. (2019). Journal of Family Violence.

Implementing the Essentials for Childhood Initiative: Establishing Safe, Stable, Nurturing Relationships and Environments in North Carolina. Shanahan ME, Ries M, Joyner C, Zolotor AJ.  (2019). International Journal of Child Maltreatment, 1(2), 179–193.

Education