Research

Kayla de la Haye, Ph.D., is a behavioral scientist who specializes in applying social network analysis and systems science to health promotion and disease prevention. She has examined the spread of obesity in adolescent peer networks, and produced innovative findings that peer network effects on obesity-related behaviors are important mechanisms underpinning this phenomenon. She collaborates on several projects that explore how socio-ecological systems influence health behaviors (diet, physical activity, substance use) in youth and families. And in partnership with the National Human Genome Research Institute, she is developing Family Health History interventions for diverse communities, which activate and harness family social systems to increase healthy behaviors and reduce disease risk. Dr. de la Haye is a member of the International Network of Social Network Analysis (INSNA), the American Academy of Health Behavior (AAHB), and the American Psychological Association (APA), and is a consulting editor for the Journal of Research on Adolescence and Connections (the official journal of INSNA). She holds a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Adelaide in Australia.