Darcy Freedman, PhD, MPH

Mary Ann Swetland Professor of Environmental Health Sciences
Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences
School of Medicine
Director
Mary Ann Swetland Center for Environmental Health
School of Medicine
Core Faculty
Prevention Research Center for Healthy Neighborhoods
School of Medicine
Secondary Faculty
Division of General Medical Sciences
Center for Community Health Integration
School of Medicine
Secondary Faculty
Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences
Faculty Associate
Schubert Center for Child Studies
Member
Population and Cancer Prevention Program
Case Comprehensive Cancer Center

An applied population health scientist and community psychologist, Dr. Darcy A. Freedman is nationally recognized for her contributions to community nutrition. She brings a trans-disciplinary background to her research agenda, developing policy and systems-level interventions to promote health equity by addressing the complex interplay between public health and the environment. Since joining Case Western Reserve University in 2013, she has successfully grown a research program focused on the intersection of health equity and community nutrition. Dr. Freedman’s technology, FM Tracks, is now the gold-standard method used nationally to evaluate healthy food incentive programming. She regularly advises and testifies to inform federal, state, and local nutrition policy.

Teaching Information

Courses Taught

Introduction to Population Health
Dissemination and Implementation Science for Health Promotion
Health Behavior and Prevention Seminar

Research Information

Research Interests

  • Community-level Interventions 
  • Environmental Health Equity
  • Community-engaged Research
  • Primary Prevention of Chronic Disease (e.g., Obesity, diabetes, cancer)
  • Nutrition and Food Security

Research Goal

  • Advance environmental health equity through community-engaged research and action

Professional Memberships

Society for Community Research and Action
American Public Health Association, Food and Nutrition Interest Group
Member, Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Food Policy Coalition
Member, Ohio Nutrition Incentive Network

Publications

Find Dr. Freedman's publications here:

Pubmed Link

Google Scholar Link

Education

Doctor of Philosophy
Community Research and Action
Vanderbilt University
2008
Graduate Certificate
Women’s and Gender Studies
Vanderbilt University
2008
Master of Public Health
Behavioral Sciences
Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health
2000
Bachelor of Arts
Zoology
Miami University
1998

Additional Information

Contributions to science:

  • Food systems and health
  • Implementation and dissemination science for health promotion
  • Community systems science for environmental health equity
  • Participatory research methodologies

Active grants:

  • National Institute of Drug Abuse. Optimizing Healing in Ohio Communities: National HEALing Communities Study. 
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture (FINI/GusCRR). Harvesting Health in the Heartland through Statewide Nutrition Incentive Program Expansion. 
  • National Institutes of Health (NCATS), UL1TR002548-01. Cleveland Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative (CTSC). 
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture. Building Capacity for Obesity Prevention (BCOP) 

Student and mentee totals, over Case Western Reserve University career/full academic career:

  • Master’s: 5/29    
  • PhD: 9/14
  • PostDoc: 6/7              
  • Current careers of PhD and Postdoctoral scholars:
    • Optum Life Sciences HEOR/UnitedHealth Group,Senior Health Economics Researcher
    • Center for Health Services and Policy Research, University of South Carolina, Research Associate
    • University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Assistant Professor
    • School of Medicine Consultation Center, Yale University, Postdoctoral Fellow
    • Institute for Research on Poverty, University of Wisconsin, Postdoctoral Fellow
    • University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children, Data Scientist
    • National Scientific and Technical Research Council of Argentina, Research Scholar
    • Georgia Southern University, Associate Professor