Shanshan Chen
Ph.D., MS
Department of Nutrition and Exercise Science
School of Natural Health Arts and Sciences
Shanshan Chen is an Associate Professor and a core faculty member in the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Science at Bastyr University in San Diego. She joined Bastyr in 2016.
Dr. Chen has been actively involved in nutrition and health promotion, community engagement, and partnership development for over a decade. She strongly believes in the healing power of nature and the concept of whole-food nutrition. Her areas of focus include community nutrition and immigrant health. She also has hands-on experience developing culturally sensitive nutrition education materials for various audiences.
Between 2014 and 2016, she worked as a regional nutrition and health education specialist and the county program director at the University of Missouri Extension, responsible for community nutrition education in five counties. She successfully integrated international nutrition content into the Gen-Ed Nutrition curriculum at the University of Massachusetts Amherst while pursuing her graduate degrees. Between 2004-2006, she served as a full-time lecturer and undergraduate program director in the department for nursing at Anhui Medical University in China.
Education:
- Ph.D. in Public Health (Nutrition) from University of Massachusetts Amherst
- MS in Nutrition from University of Massachusetts Amherst
- MS in Maternal and Child Health from Anhui Medical University, China
- BS in Nursing from Anhui Medical University, China
Research Interests
Food-related behaviors added sugar intake and chronic disease risks among the US population. She is also interested in learning about health risks among under-served populations and the development of effective nutrition education/intervention programs.