Research Summary

I am Assistant Professor in Adolescent and Young Medicine and public health researcher whose work focuses on improving the quality of preventive healthcare for underserved Latine families through my mixed methods intervention research, as well as my program development, implementation and evaluation work with community health organizations. My cancer control research examines obesity in Mexican American families, with a special focus on the role that fathers play in preventing obesity in their children. Additionally, my research examines game-based interventions to reduce risk behavior among Latine youth to help enhance and ensure cultural representation and responsiveness and improve behavioral health outcomes. My other interests include STEM education, health policy research and mentoring underrepresented minority students.

Education

Postdoctoral Fellow, 03/2021 - Pediatrics, UCSF
DrPH, 05/2018 - Public Health, UC Berkeley
Graduate Fellow, 05/2017 - Social Change Research, Institute for the Study of Societal Issues, UC Berkeley
MS, 05/2000 - Clinical Psychology, San Francisco State University

Honors & Awards

  • Population Health and Health Equity Scholar, UCSF Latinx Center of Excellence, 2024
  • Diversity Supplement, NIH/National Cancer Institute, 2021-2023
  • Health Disparities Loan Repayment Program, NIH National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, 2019

Selected Publications

  1. Giovanelli A, Rowe J, Taylor M, Berna M, Tebb KP, Penilla C, Pugatch M, Lester J, Ozer EM. Supporting Adolescent Engagement with Artificial Intelligence-Driven Digital Health Behavior Change Interventions. J Med Internet Res. 2023 05 24; 25:e40306.  View on PubMed
  2. Marianne Pugatch, Sean Hennigan, Mark Berna, Megan Mott, Alison Giovanelli, Jonathan Rowe, Carlos Penilla, Kathleen P. Tebb, Elizabeth Ozer. 103. The Preferences and Experiences of Adolescents with ADHD in INSPIRE: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study of Engagement and Parent-teen Communication in a Narrative Game-based Learning Environment for Risky Alcohol Use Prevention. Journal of Adolescent Health. 2023 Mar 1; 72(3):s59-s60.  View on PubMed
  3. Penilla C, Tschann JM, Pasch LA, Flores E, Deardorff J, Martinez SM, Butte NF, Greenspan LC. Style of meal service and feeding practices among Mexican American fathers and mothers: An analysis of video-recorded children's evening mealtime at home. Appetite. 2022 02 01; 169:105851.  View on PubMed
  4. Mott M, Mott B, Rowe J, Ozer E, Giovanelli A, Berna M, Pugatch M, Tebb K, Penilla C, Lester J. "What's Important to You, Max?": The Influence of Goals on Engagement in an Interactive Narrative for Adolescent Health Behavior Change. Interact Storytell (2021). 2021 Dec; 13138:379-392.  View on PubMed
  5. Megan Mott, Bradford Mott, Jonathan Rowe, Elizabeth Ozer, Alison Giovanelli, Mark Berna, Marianne Pugatch, Kathleen Tebb, Carlos Penilla, James Lester. “What’s Important to You, Max?”: The Influence of Goals on Engagement in an Interactive Narrative for Adolescent Health Behavior Change. . 2021 Dec 4; 13138:379-392.  View on PubMed
  6. Randall Spain, Carlos Penilla, Elizabeth Ozer, Robert Taylor, Cathy Ringstaff, James Lester. Leveraging Game-Based Learning Technologies to Introduce Adolescents to Health Science Careers During the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Journal of STEM Outreach. 2021 Oct 4; 4(4).  View on PubMed
  7. Ozer EM, Rowe J, Tebb KP, Berna M, Penilla C, Giovanelli A, Jasik C, Lester JC. Fostering Engagement in Health Behavior Change: Iterative Development of an Interactive Narrative Environment to Enhance Adolescent Preventive Health Services. J Adolesc Health. 2020 08; 67(2S):S34-S44.  View on PubMed
  8. Alison Giovanelli, Mark Berna, Jonathan Rowe, Kathleen Tebb, Carlos Penilla, James Lester, Elizabeth M. Ozer. 258. Adolescent Engagement in a Narrative-Centered Behavior Change System for Preventive Health: Differences by Sex and Alcohol Use. Journal of Adolescent Health. 2020 Feb 1; 66(2):s130-s131.  View on PubMed
  9. Elizabeth M. Ozer, Jonathan P. Rowe, Kathleen P. Tebb, Mark S. Berna, Carolyn Bradner Jasik, Carlos Penilla, Alison S. Giovanelli, Max Ozer-Staton, Averie Lee Kellenberger, James C. Lester. 116. Engaging Adolescents In A Self-Adaptive Personalized Behavior Change System For Adolescent Preventive Healthcare. Journal of Adolescent Health. 2019 Feb 1; 64(2):s60-s61.  View on PubMed
  10. Elizabeth M. Ozer, Carlos Penilla, Randall D. Spain, Bradford W. Mott, Donald Woodson, James C. Lester. 262. Health Quest: Promoting Adolescents’ Health Science Career Interests Through Technology-Rich Learning Experiences. Journal of Adolescent Health. 2019 Feb 1; 64(2):s134.  View on PubMed
  11. Martinez SM, Tschann JM, McCulloch CE, Sites E, Butte NF, Gregorich SE, Penilla C, Flores E, Pasch LA, Greenspan LC, Deardorff J. Temporal associations between circadian sleep and activity patterns in Mexican American children. Sleep Health. 2019 04; 5(2):201-207.  View on PubMed
  12. Martinez SM, Tschann JM, Butte NF, Gregorich SE, Penilla C, Flores E, Pasch LA, Greenspan LC, Deardorff J. Sleep duration in Mexican American children: Do mothers' and fathers' parenting and family practices play a role? J Sleep Res. 2019 08; 28(4):e12784.  View on PubMed
  13. Penilla C, Tschann JM, Sanchez-Vaznaugh EV, Flores E, Ozer EJ. Obstacles to preventing obesity in children aged 2 to 5 years: Latino mothers' and fathers' experiences and perceptions of their urban environments. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2017 11 02; 14(1):148.  View on PubMed
  14. Penilla C, Tschann JM, Deardorff J, Flores E, Pasch LA, Butte NF, Gregorich SE, Greenspan LC, Martinez SM, Ozer E. Fathers' feeding practices and children's weight status in Mexican American families. Appetite. 2017 10 01; 117:109-116.  View on PubMed
  15. Martinez SM, Tschann JM, Butte NF, Gregorich SE, Penilla C, Flores E, Greenspan LC, Pasch LA, Deardorff J. Short Sleep Duration Is Associated With Eating More Carbohydrates and Less Dietary Fat in Mexican American Children. Sleep. 2017 Feb 01; 40(2).  View on PubMed
  16. Jeanne M. Tschann, Suzanna M. Martinez, Carlos Penilla, Steven E. Gregorich, Lauri A. Pasch, Cynthia L. De Groat, Elena Flores, Julianna Deardorff, Louise C. Greenspan, Nancy F. Butte. Pediatric Behavioral Nutrition Factors. Pediatric Behavioral Nutrition Factors. 2017 Jan 15; 47-70.  View on PubMed
  17. Pasch LA, Penilla C, Tschann JM, Martinez SM, Deardorff J, de Groat CL, Gregorich SE, Flores E, Butte NF, Greenspan LC. Preferred Child Body Size and Parental Underestimation of Child Weight in Mexican-American Families. Matern Child Health J. 2016 09; 20(9):1842-8.  View on PubMed
  18. Tschann JM, Martinez SM, Penilla C, Gregorich SE, Pasch LA, de Groat CL, Flores E, Deardorff J, Greenspan LC, Butte NF. Parental feeding practices and child weight status in Mexican American families: a longitudinal analysis. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2015 May 20; 12:66.  View on PubMed
  19. Martinez SM, Tschann JM, Greenspan LC, Deardorff J, Penilla C, Flores E, Pasch LA, Gregorich SE, Butte NF. Is it time for bed? Short sleep duration increases risk of obesity in Mexican American children. Sleep Med. 2014 Dec; 15(12):1484-9.  View on PubMed
  20. Butte NF, Gregorich SE, Tschann JM, Penilla C, Pasch LA, De Groat CL, Flores E, Deardorff J, Greenspan LC, Martinez SM. Longitudinal effects of parental, child and neighborhood factors on moderate-vigorous physical activity and sedentary time in Latino children. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2014 Sep 04; 11:108.  View on PubMed

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