Karen Glanz

Karen Glanz, PhD, MPH is George A. Weiss University Professor, Professor of Epidemiology and Nursing and Director of a new Center for Health Behavior Research at the University of Pennsylvania.

She was formerly (2004-2009) Candler Professor of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education; Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Research Scholar; and Director of the Emory Prevention Research Center at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University in Atlanta. From 1993 to 2004, she was Professor and Director of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Program at the Cancer Research Center of Hawai'i at the University of Hawai'i. From 1979 to 1993 she was a Professor in the Departments of Health Education and Medicine at Temple University in Philadelphia. Dr. Glanz received her MPH (1977) and PhD (1979) degrees in health behavior and health education from the University of Michigan.

Teaching Dr. Glanz’ current teaching is focused on mentorship of undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows working on health behavior-related research, particularly in the areas of nutrition/obesity prevention, cancer prevention and control, and measurement of behaviors and application of behavioral science theory.

Research Her research, funded for over $25 million over the past 15 years, focuses on cancer prevention and control, theories of health behavior, obesity and the built environment, social and health policy, and new health communication technologies. She is currently conducting research on skin cancer prevention, nutrition and chronic disease prevention, compliance with glaucoma medications and colorectal cancer screening. Dr. Glanz and her team are committed to conducting scientific research with promising short-and long-term application to improved community health, health care, and public health services.

Dr. Glanz is a member of the Task Force on Community Preventive Services, a federally-appointed task force that oversees the Community Guide evidence reviews. Her scholarly contributions consist of more than 300 journal articles and book chapters. Dr. Glanz is senior editor of Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory, Research, and Practice (Jossey-Bass Inc., 1990, 1996, 2002, 2008), a widely used text recently published in its fourth edition.