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Kirsten Davison is the Donahue and DiFelice Endowed Chair and Associate Dean for Research in the School of Social Work at °¬¿ÉÖ±²¥ College. Her research and teaching focuses on the health wellbeing of children and families. She received her PhD in Human Development and Family Studies from The Pennsylvania State University and held °¬¿ÉÖ±²¥appointments at the University of Albany School of Public Health (2003-2011) and Harvard Chan School of Public Health (2011- 2019) before joining the °¬¿ÉÖ±²¥at °¬¿ÉÖ±²¥ College School in 2019.

Dr. Davison’s research primarily focuses on the development and evaluation of family- and community-based interventions to support children’s nutrition, sleep, emotional regulation and general wellbeing. The interventions are designed and implemented in collaboration with community partners using participatory methods and target parents as agents of change. Key community partners include public school districts (New Bedford, Fitchburg), special education schools (the Manville School), state departments of public health (New York State, Massachusetts), community health centers (East °¬¿ÉÖ±²¥ Neighborhood Health Center), hospitals (Mass General Brigham) and social service programs (Head Start, WIC).

Dr. Davison is leading two five-year studies funded by more than $4 million in research support from the National Institutes of Health. The first, Fathers & Families, is a cohort study of approximately 1000 fathers with children ages 1-6 years and their coparents. The study examines the role of fathers, and their coparents, in promoting children’s physical and mental health. The second study, MI VACUNA (Motivational Interviewing for VACcine Uptake in latiNx Adults), is an intervention study conducted in collaboration with East °¬¿ÉÖ±²¥ Neighborhood Health Center and co-led with Rocio Calvo from °¬¿ÉÖ±²¥ College and Sebastien Haneuse from Harvard School of Public Health. In the MI VACUNA intervention, behavioral health clinicians are trained to use motivational interviewing to engage Latinx patients in conversations about COVID and influenza vaccination and to link those interested in vaccination with in-house vaccination services.

Dr. Davison engages students at all levels in her research and has trained and mentored more than 20 doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows. Students interested in working with Dr. Davison and her research team on either study can contact her at kirsten.davison@bc.edu.