Alice Ammerman

Alice Ammerman is the Mildred Kaufman Distinguished Professor in the Department of Nutrition at the Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She serves as Director of the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, part of the CDC Prevention Research Centers network.

• B.A., Comparative Area Studies in Africa, Duke University (1976)
• M.P.H., Nutrition, UNC Chapel Hill (1981)
• Dr.P.H., Nutrition, UNC Chapel Hill (1990)
• Registered Dietitian (2007)

Dr. Ammerman's research focuses on nutrition and physical activity interventions for chronic disease prevention in low-income populations. Key themes include health equity, sustainable food systems, social entrepreneurship, and implementation science. She developed the Med-South Diet (Mediterranean diet adapted for the U.S. Southeast) and investigates intersections between agriculture, nutrition, and public health policy.

Her recent publications examine rural food access policies, digital health interventions for cardiovascular disease, obesity prevention training frameworks, and neighborhood-level influences on health behaviors. These works emphasize community engagement, policy translation, and evidence-based dissemination.

• 2014 Academic Researcher Award, North Carolina Public Health Association
• 2011 Ned Brooks Award for Public Service, UNC-CH
• 2006 Excellence in Dietary Guidance Award, APHA
• 2000 Greenberg Award, UNC Chapel Hill
• 1981 Delta Omega Honor Society, UNC Chapel Hill
• 1976 Magna Cum Laude, Duke University

Dr. Ammerman teaches courses in Nutrition Policy and Public Health Entrepreneurship, including NUTR 245 (Sustainable Food Systems), NUTR 780 (Entrepreneurship), and NUTR 875 (Nutrition Policy Seminar). She leads the Center of Excellence for Training and Research Translation, focusing on obesity and cardiovascular disease interventions, and contributes to SNAP policy research and NIH-funded community health initiatives.