Chelsea Singleton

Dr. Chelsea Singleton is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social, Behavioral, and Population Sciences at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. She holds a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and an MPH from Tulane University. Her research focuses on nutritional inequities, food access, and the impact of structural racism on dietary behavior in underserved communities.

Education:

• PhD, Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham
• MPH, Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
• BS, Biology (Pre-Med), Xavier University of Louisiana

Dr. Singleton's research lies at the intersection of nutritional epidemiology and social justice, with a focus on how structural violence and racism affect food environments and health outcomes in low-income African American communities. She utilizes epidemiological, geospatial, and community-based participatory research methods to examine food purchasing behavior, nutrition assistance programs (e.g., SNAP, WIC), and chronic disease risk. Her work aims to dismantle systemic barriers to healthy eating.

Dr. Singleton has secured major research funding, including a five-year NIH/NIMHD K01 Career Development Award to study the effects of community violence on food retail and purchasing behavior. She has previously held a USDA-funded postdoctoral fellowship and has been recognized with multiple awards, including NIH loan repayment awards and early-career honors from professional societies.

Scientific Awards:

• NIH/NCI Loan Repayment Award (2021–2023)
• NIH/NIMHD Career Development Award (K01) (2020–2025)
• Best Poster Presentation, International Society for Behavioral Nutrition & Physical Activity (2019)
• Best Abstract Award, Society for Nutrition Education Behavior (2018)
• NIH/NCI Loan Repayment Award (2017–2019)
• USDA/AFRI Post-Doctoral Fellowship Award (2016–2018)
• Delta Omega Honorary Public Health Society (2015)

Dr. Singleton is actively engaged in public health research and practice, with a strong commitment to community-engaged scholarship. She has advised research projects involving nutrition assistance program participants and continues to build capacity for equitable food systems. She previously served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign before returning to Tulane, her alma mater. Her work is supported by federal grants and contributes to national efforts to reduce health disparities.