Kelley Akiya, PhD, MPAff

Kelley Akiya, PhD, MPAff, is working with Dr. Anusha Vable and her lab on identifying longitudinal trajectories of food insecurity in older adults and the health and health care implications of experiencing these different trajectories over time. Her research broadly focuses on understanding the effects of food insecurity on health, particularly among minoritized populations, and identifying health care and policy interventions that can reduce food insecurity and/or promote the health and well-being of those already experiencing or at risk of experiencing episodes of food insecurity. Prior to joining UCSF, Kelley completed her PhD in Public Health Policy and Management at the New York University School of Global Public Health where she received a dissertation grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to study food insecurity trajectories and transitions in U.S. adults ages 50 and older. Before starting her doctoral studies, she earned a Master of Public Affairs degree from the University of Texas Austin and worked as a program evaluator using quantitative and qualitative methods to study the implementation and effectiveness of various social welfare and health care interventions.