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.

Education

  • PhD, Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, US
  • MSPH, International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, US
  • BA, Biochemistry and Latin American Studies, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME, US
  • Residency, Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

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Selected Publications

  • Taparra K, Wang H, Malek R, Barbhuiya MA, Simons BW, Ballew M, Nugent KM, Groves J, Williams JD, Shiraishi T, Verdone J, Yildirir G, Henry R, Zhang B, Wong J, Wang K, Nelkin BD, Pienta KJ, Felsher D, Zachara NE, Tran PT. O-GlcNAcylation is required for mutant KRAS-induced lung tumorigenesis. J Clinical Investigation 2018 Nov 1; 128(11):4924-4937. PMID: 30130254.
  • Taparra K, Lester SC, Hunzeker A, Funk RK, Blanchard MJ, Young P, Herrmann J, Tasson A, Leng S, Martenson JA, Whitaker TJ, Williamson E, Laack NN. Reducing Heart Dose with Protons and Cardiac Substructure Sparing for Mediastinal Lymphoma Treatment. International Journal of Particle Therapy 2020 Sep 4; 4;7(1):1-12. PMID: 33094130.
  • Taparra K, Miller RC, Deville C. Navigating Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Cancer Disparities from a Cultural and Historical Perspective. Journal of Clinical Oncology - Oncology Practice 2021 Jan 6; (3):130-134. PMID: 33497251.
  • Taparra K. Pacific Islanders Searching for Inclusion in Medicine. JAMA Health Forum [Insights]. 2021 Feb 24. 2 (2), e210153-e210153. PMID: 36218798.
  • Taparra K, Fukui J, Killeen J, Sumida K, Loo LMW, Hernandez BY. Racial/Ethnic Disparities in rates of Invasive Secondary Breast Cancer among women with Ductal Carcinoma In Situ in Hawaiʻi. JAMA Network Open 2021 Oct 1. PMID: 34668945.
  • Taparra K, Harding M, Deville C. Healing and Health Equity for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Populations. JAMA 2021 Dec 21; 7(1):100842. PMID: 34932087.
  • Taparra K, Pellegrin K. Data aggregation hides Pacific Islander health disparities. The Lancet 2022 June 16; 400(10345):2-3. PMID: 35717993.
  • Taparra K, Que V, Pollom E. Disparities in Survival and Comorbidity Burden Between Asian and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Patients with Cancer. JAMA Network Open 2022 Aug 1; 5(8):e2226327. PMID: 35960520.
  • Taparra K, Qu V, Lau B, Pollom E. A National Cancer Disparities Analysis of Predictors for Radiation Therapy Refusal by Race. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2023 Feb 8; 116(1):96-102. PMID: 36764491.
  • Taparra K, Purdy M, Raphael K. From Ashes to Action - Indigenous Health Perspectives on the Lāhainā Fires. NEJM. 2023 Oct 26;389(17):1543-1546. PMID: 37733295.
  • Taparra K, Benavente R, Shih J, Gimmen MY, Tominez P, Kekumano K, Pineda E, Sherman R, Deville C, Peppercorn J, Gomez S, Bosserman L, Chino F, Patel M, Shah C. Patient Inclusion and Reporting by US Federally Defined Race/Ethnicity in High-Impact Phase 2/3 Oncology Clinical Trial Publications. JAMA Health Forum. 2024 Jun 7;5(6):e241388. PMID: 38848090.
  • Taparra K*, Kekumano K*, Benavente R, Roberto L, Gimmen M, Shontell R, Cakobau H, Deo N, Kinslow CJ, Warner AB, Deville C, Shing JZ, Vo JB, Patel MI, Pollom E. Racial Disparities in Cancer Stage at Diagnosis and Survival for Adolescent and Young Adults. JAMA Network Open. 2024 Aug 1;7(8):e2430975. PMID: 39212989.