Staff: Heather D'Angelo, PhD, MHS
Heather D'Angelo, PhD, MHS
Program Director
NOTE: Dr. D'Angelo is a Program Director in the Behavioral Research Program. This page reflects her time as a fellow; find her staff profile here.
Heather D'Angelo, Ph.D., M.H.S., was a Cancer Prevention Fellow in the Health Behaviors Research Branch within the Behavioral Research Program from June 2015 to June 2016.
Dr. D'Angelo earned her Doctorate in Health Behavior from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Gillings School of Global Public Health. She also holds a M.H.S. in International Health with a concentration in Human Nutrition from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a B.S. in Biochemistry from Northeastern University.
Dr. D'Angelo's research interests include cancer health disparities and the role of the social, built, and policy environment in influencing health behaviors related to cancer risk. She is interested in studying how policies or interventions targeted at changing the built environment might impact health behaviors, especially diet, physical activity, and tobacco use among youth.
Prior to joining NCI, Dr. D'Angelo worked on a variety of research studies that examined food and tobacco retail environments. Her dissertation research examined the spatial clustering of fast food restaurants and tobacco outlets near public schools in the U.S. and racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in outlet availability within walking distance of schools. She also worked on a national study examining tobacco products and marketing at the point-of-sale; an intervention to increase healthy food access in East Baltimore; and a mixed methods study examining agreements between urban corner store owners and food, beverage and tobacco companies in four U.S. cities. Dr. D'Angelo has also worked in the community as a WIC nutritionist and as a health care access case manager.
During her fellowship, Dr. D'Angelo worked closely with Dr. David Berrigan in the Health Behaviors Research Branch. Her research examined the impact of place on cancer related health behaviors and examined the role of neighborhood context in contributing to disparities in cancer risk throughout the life course.
"Where are they now?": Following up with past BRP fellows
Updated October 2019
Current Title
Assistant Scientist
University of Wisconsin-Madison Carbone Cancer Center
How has your BRP fellowship influenced your career?
As a fellow in BRP, I was able to take advantage of both training and professional development opportunities and create research collaborations within BRP that continue to this day.
Describe your current position, your current organization, and what you do.
I am the lead scientist for research, evaluation and dissemination for the NCI Cancer Center Cessation Initiative Coordinator Center based at the University of Wisconsin Madison. In this role, I study the implementation of tobacco treatment programs at NCI Designated Cancer Centers.
Awards, Honors, and Recognitions
- Early Career Investigator Award, Best Abstract, Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (2016)
- Sallie Rosen Kaplan Fellowship for Women Scientists in Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute (2015-2016)
Publications from Fellowship Work
- D'Angelo H, Fowler SL, Nebeling LC, Oh AY. Adolescent Physical Activity: Moderation of Individual Factors by Neighborhood Environment. Am J Prev Med. 2017 Jun;52(6):888-894.
- D'Angelo H, Ammerman A, Gordon-Larsen P, Linnan L, Lytle L, Ribisl KM. Sociodemographic Disparities in Proximity of Schools to Tobacco Outlets and Fast-Food Restaurants. Am J Public Health. 2016 Sep;106(9):1556-62.
- Ribisl KM, D'Angelo H, Evenson KR, Fleischhacker S, Myers AE, Rose SW. Integrating Tobacco Control and Obesity Prevention Initiatives at Retail Outlets. Prev Chronic Dis. 2016 Mar 10;13:E35.
- D'Angelo H, Evenson KR, Rose S, Fleischhacker S, Myers AE, Ribisl KM. Examination of community and consumer nutrition, tobacco and physical activity environments at food and tobacco retail stores in three diverse North Carolina communities. Prev Med Rep. 2015;2:730-736.
Current and/or past BRP mentors include Robin Vanderpool and April Oh.
Current and/or past BRP mentees include Abigail Muro and Jacob Rohde.
Selected Publications and Presentations
- Muro A, Czajkowski S, Hall KL, Neta G, Weaver SJ, D'Angelo H. Climate Change Harm Perception Among U.S. Adults in the NCI Health Information National Trends Survey, 2022. Am J Health Promot 2024 Jan 17:8901171241228339.
- Nogueira LM, Crane TE, Ortiz AP, D'Angelo H, Neta G. Climate Change and Cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023 Jul 5; 32(7):869-875.
- Rohde JA, Klein WMP, D'Angelo H. Alcohol and Cancer Risk Beliefs as Correlates of Alcohol Consumption Status. Am J Prev Med 2023 Jan 25; S0749-3797(23):00275-1.
- D'Angelo H, Webb Hooper M, Burris JL, Rolland B, Adsit R, Pauk D, Rosenblum M, Fiore MC, Baker TB. Achieving Equity in the Reach of Smoking Cessation Services Within the NCI Cancer Moonshot-Funded Cancer Center Cessation Initiative. Health Equity 2021 Jun 16; 5(1):424-430.
- Fiore MC, D'Angelo H, Baker T. Effective Cessation Treatment for Patients With Cancer Who Smoke-The Fourth Pillar of Cancer Care. JAMA Netw Open 2019 Sep 4; 2(9).
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