Lorraine Cordeiro, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Dr. Cordeiro joined the Wellesley Centers for Women in June 2008 as a National Institute of Child Health and Development (NICHD) postdoctoral research fellow. She received her Ph.D. in Nutrition Science and Policy from Tufts University May 2007. Dr. Cordeiro completed her M.P.H. at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and received her B.A. in Development Studies/Biology from Mount Holyoke College. She was the recipient of several distinguished awards and fellowships including the Tufts University Presidential Award for Citizenship and Public Service and the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship.
Dr. Cordeiro worked extensively on behalf of children in undeserved populations from Lowell, Massachusetts to Tanzania to Cambodia. Her research encompassed a public health approach to addressing adolescent health outcomes and risk behavior. Integral to her research agenda was her commitment to strengthening scientific infrastructure, both domestically and internationally, using a capacity building model for research. Dr. Cordeiro’s doctoral research on health, nutrition, and risk behavior among adolescents in Tanzania exemplified her commitment to capacity building and research designed to have policy impact. Her doctoral research was conducted under the umbrella of UNICEF and in partnership with the Tanzania Food and Nutrition Center. Research findings were included in the 2007 World Hunger Series, a publication of the United Nations, and have been used to inform national nutrition policy in Tanzania. Her research team was comprised of Tanzanian adolescents and young scientists. Through active mentoring, two members of her team are currently pursuing doctoral degrees, and one is currently enrolled in medical school.
Dr. Cordeiro’s recent research examined the association between household food insecurity and behavioral outcomes among adolescents. A core component of her work centered on risk and protective factors that influence adolescent development. At the WCW, she was part of the evaluation team for a sex education curriculum to be implemented in selected middle schools in Massachusetts. In conjunction with Dr. Alice Frye-, Dr. Cordeiro also developed an adolescent mental health needs assessment for a high-risk population in Northeast Massachusetts. Dr. Cordeiro was on staff until fall 2009 and will continue to work collaboratively with WCW scholars on research projects.
