Spectrum News interviewed Dr. Kayla de la Haye, professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences, about food access issues in Los Angeles County.
“They’re really struggling to make ends meet," she said. "The other thing that we know matters a lot is food access. So what do you have access to in your neighborhood environment or the community that you live in?”
Two related and recently published studies by international teams - including researchers with the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health - have studied how chronic illnesses, including diabetes and heart disease, can stem from the combination of working conditions and lifestyle factors.
Kayla de la Haye, Ph.D., is a Professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health who works to promote health and prevent disease by studying how social relationships and everyday environments shape public health. Her research examines how family and community networks, built environments, and public policies work together to influence eating habits, nutrition security, and lifestyle behaviors linked to chronic disease. Her work shows that health behaviors are not simply individual choices—they are shaped by the social and economic conditions in which people live.
Education
- Doctor of Philosophy, Health Psychology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- Bachelor of Health Science (Hons), Psychology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- Bachelor of Arts, Psychology & Anthropology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
Professor Faghri is an occupational and public health scientist and innovator whose work applies behavioral and occupational health research to redesign systems, including workplaces, technologies, and environments, to improve health across the lifespan. Prior to joining UCLA, Professor Faghri was a tenured Full Professor at the University of Connecticut, with joint appointments in Allied Health Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, and Public Health.
Education
- MS, Physiology and Biophysics; Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio
- Post-Doctoral Fellowship, National Rehabilitation Center, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio
- MD, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
The Los Angeles Daily News quoted Dr. Kayla de la Haye, professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences, about Americans' diets, including what are healthy amounts of protein.
For Americans who felt 2025 was a ceaseless storm of norm-challenging change, there may be balm in the celebrations of the republic’s 250th birthday on July 4. Bruin experts, including UCLA Fielding's Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, a physician and professor in the departments of Community Health Sciences and Epidemiology, cast a light on the path ahead.
UCLA Fielding's Dr. Liwei Chen, a physician and professor in the Department of Epidemiology, was interviewed by MedPage Today about her research into the timing of meals and diabetes.
Strong social relationships, particularly high-quality marriages, may help protect against obesity by influencing a complex communication system between the brain and gut, according to new research by UCLA Health.
A groundbreaking work has been published exploring the impact of celiac disease, a serious autoimmune condition that affects approximately three million Americans, or 1 percent of the population, and its connections to diet and public policy in the United States.
Prevention interviewed Dr. Dana Hunnes, a UCLA dietician and nutrition expert, on the differences between soy and almond milk.
“ 'Plant-based milks are a great alternative and ought to be considered as part of a healthy diet,' says Dana Hunnes, Ph.D, M.P.H., R.D., an assistant professor at UCLA and senior dietitian at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center."