Kathryn Leifheit

Kathryn Leifheit, PhD MSPH is a social epidemiologist who aims to identify policy levers to improve population health and health equity, with a focus on housing programs and policies. Her research has documented population health impacts of widespread housing insecurity and evictions, as well as health impacts of key housing policies.

Dr. Leifheit’s early work helped to establish the residential eviction process as a structural determinant of health. Her research linked early-life evictions to adverse outcomes including preterm birth, low birthweight, neighborhood poverty, food insecurity, suboptimal cognitive development, and interrupted access to social safety nets. As an extension of this work, Dr. Leifheit has applied quasi-experimental methods to measure effects of eviction prevention policies on population health outcomes. In published and ongoing work, Dr. Leifheit has quantified health impacts of eviction moratoria, emergency rental assistance, and tenant right to counsel.

Dr. Leifheit has published her research in leading medical and public-health journals and has received grant support from the NIH and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Dr. Leifheit’s research has been featured on NPR, LAist, Mother Jones, The Atlantic, Bloomberg, LA Times, The Guardian, Vox, Democracy Now!, and other national media outlets.