My research interests are primarily related to maternal-child health, including policy development and evaluation around health care service access and quality around pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. I have particular interests in understanding and improving mechanisms related to structural racism and the social determinants of health. I am particularly interested in policy research related to intimate partner violence in the perinatal period, breast/chestfeeding, and the WIC Program.
Alyssa is a Research and Policy Fellow with the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Public Health degree from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Alyssa began her career working with individuals and families in a local WIC agency as a registered dietitian and lactation counselor, which fueled her passion for maternal and child health equity on a population level. After earning her MPH, she worked for Chisago County Public Health and then the Minnesota House of Representatives, where she staffed the Health and Human Services Policy Committee, Education Policy Committee, Early Childhood Committee, and the Select Committee on Racial Justice.
Alyssa joined the staff of the University of Minnesota School of Public in 2021, and worked on the team that launched the Center for Antiracism Research for Health Equity. She now works as a Research and Policy Fellow for the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center, where she supports the design, implementation, and policy impact of research projects that address systemic and structural determinants of health, with a focus on maternal health and rural health.