Nancy Sherwood

Nancy Sherwood is a Professor and Associate Dean for Research at the School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, where she also serves as Professor in the Division of Epidemiology & Community Health. Additionally, she holds leadership positions as Co-director of the Healthy Weight Research Center and Director of the CTSI-Ed K Accelerator Program.

Dr. Sherwood earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Kent State University in 1996, an MA in Clinical Psychology from Kent State University in 1993, and a BS in Human Development and Family Studies from Cornell University in 1990.

Her research program focuses on the development and evaluation of behavioral obesity prevention and treatment interventions across the lifespan, with particular emphasis on reaching lower income, ethnically diverse children and their parents. A prominent theme throughout her work is integrating obesity treatment and prevention interventions into healthcare settings and creating connections between health systems and community-based interventions to enhance efficacy, sustainability, and dissemination potential. She is also interested in newer intervention science methodologies that improve the ability to tailor interventions to deliver 'the right intervention to the right person at the right time.' Her expertise spans obesity prevention and treatment, maternal and child health, food and nutrition, chronic diseases, and intervention design.

Dr. Sherwood's publication record demonstrates an evolution from foundational work in behavioral determinants of exercise to contemporary research on obesity interventions and more recently, contributions to COVID-19 treatment research. Her work consistently emphasizes practical applications in real-world settings with vulnerable populations.

• Member, Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health

As Associate Dean for Research, Dr. Sherwood oversees research initiatives within the School of Public Health while maintaining an active research program. Her work on the Healthy Weight Research Center focuses on developing and testing interventions that address weight-related health issues across diverse populations. Through the CTSI-Ed K Accelerator Program, she supports early-career researchers in clinical and translational science.

Dr. Sherwood leads the Healthy Weight Research Center, which brings together multidisciplinary teams to develop, implement, and evaluate innovative approaches to obesity prevention and treatment. Her work bridges academic research with practical community applications, creating sustainable models for improving population health.