Marie Bragg

Assistant Professor of Public Health Nutrition

Professional overview

Dr. Marie Bragg’s work focuses on identifying and affecting environmental and social factors associated with obesity, food marketing, and health disparities.

Trained as a Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Bragg  utilizes psychology and public health research methods to study food policy and obesity, and her research advocates for changes in US food policy and population-level solutions - not only individual behavior change. Her research has examined the impact of racially targeted food and beverage marketing on adolescents; catalogued the food and beverage industry’s use of music celebrity and professional athlete endorsements in promoting unhealthy products; evaluated various marketing techniques used on packaged foods in supermarkets and outdoor advertisements; and assessed how labeling and intrapersonal and social factors influence food and beverage preferences. Her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the NYC Department of Health, and has resulted in numerous peer-reviewed articles.

At the SeedProgram, Dr. Bragg conducts research on obesity, health disparities, and international and domestic food policy, in order to provide policymakers and organizations with evidence-based guidance on improving the world’s diet and health outcomes. Her research program allows students to collect data, conduct qualitative coding analyses, assist with manuscript development and grant submissions, and draft IRB applications. Additionally, her students have published papers and posters, and received funding for their own projects.

Education

BS, Psychology and BA, English, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

MS, Clinical Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT

MPhil, Clinical Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT

Clinical Internship, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY

PhD, Clinical Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT

Honors and awards

Jane Olejarczyk Award, Yale University (2012)

Yale Graduate Teaching Center Fellowship, Yale University (2012)

Yale University Dissertation Fellowship, Yale University (2012)

William Kessen Teaching Award, Yale University (2011)

Areas of research and study

Food

Nutrition

Obesity

Public Health Nutrition

Public Health Policy