Positions

Overview

  • Dr. Locher accepted a position at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in the Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care within the Department of Medicine in 1992 as a Research Associate working on National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded projects with prominent aging researchers; earned her PhD in Medical Sociology from UAB in 1999; was promoted to Research Assistant Professor in 2000; earned an MSPH in Health Policy and Outcomes from UAB in 2005; and was promoted to a tenure-earning Assistant Professor position in 2005. In 2007, she was appointed Director of the Public Policy and Aging Program (dually supported by the UAB Center for Aging and the Lister Hill Center for Health Policy) and accepted a joint appointment with formal responsibilities in the Department of Health Care Organization and Policy in the School of Public Health. In 2008, she was promoted to Associate Professor and was awarded tenure in 2009. In 2011, she was appointed Associate Director for Enrichment of the UAB Nutrition and Obesity Research Center (NORC) (funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases [NIDDK]). In 2013, Dr. Locher was promoted to Full Professor.

    Dr. Locher’s work in the area of nutrition and aging has been consistently supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) with four distinct grants awarded to her as Principal Investigator since September of 2001. Additionally, she has received extramural support from other agencies where she served as Principal Investigator (PI) (American Cancer Society and the Lucille Beeson Trust Fund) and as Co-PI or Co-Investigator from multiple agencies to support research focused on nutrition and aging. She has published or has in press more than 75 peer-reviewed data-based manuscripts on translational nutrition and aging and related topics. Dr. Locher was fortunate to be the recipient of a Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (MRSDA/K01) from the NIA that kick-started her career in the area of nutrition and aging. Receipt of the MRSDA enabled her to conduct a longitudinal observational study of nutritional behaviors and outcomes of older adults who had recently experienced an acute medical event or an exacerbation of a chronic condition that necessitated the use of home health services. Concomitant with that award, she received a smaller NIA R03 grant to study nutritional concerns of older adults diagnosed with cancer along with their caregivers and doctors using in-depth qualitative interviews. Based upon findings from the MRSDA, she was able to secure additional R21 funding from NIA to conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluating a Behavioral Nutrition Intervention in Community Elders (B-NICE) targeted at addressing heightened nutritional risk that occurs during a home health encounter (especially following a hospitalization) that may contribute to a downward spiral leading to frailty and poor health outcomes, including increased health services utilization and mortality. She was awarded a five-year R01 in 2009 to conduct another RCT examining the effects of a lifestyle intervention on multiple outcomes (disease risk, function, health service utilization, and quality of life) in obese community-dwelling older adults with co-morbid conditions. Beginning in August, 2012, Dr. Locher began work on a grant from the National Cancer Institute focused on Food and Eating Behaviors of Head and Neck Cancer Patients. Work on the latter three studies is ongoing.

    In 2010, Dr. Locher was invited to participate, as part of a select group of investigators, in a Researcher Roundtable convened by the AARP Foundation (Washington, DC) to identify research priorities related to food security and hunger issues of older adults residing in the community. Also, in 2010, Dr. Locher was invited to serve as a member of the Centers for Disease Control Healthy Aging Research Network’s Nutrition Workgroup. In 2011, she was invited to serve as a member of the Institute of Medicine's Planning Committee for A Workshop on Nutrition and Healthy Aging in the Community (The workshop was held in October, 2011.). Dr. Locher serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Nutrition in Gerontology and Geriatrics. Since 2004, she has served with Dr. Connie Bales as Co-Convener of the Nutrition Interest Group of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA). In 2013, Dr. Locher was awarded Fellow status in the GSA. Dr. Locher has served on several ad hoc NIH and American Cancer Society Study Sections from 2009 to the present.

    Dr. Locher’s leadership activities as a teacher extend to: 1) formal classroom instruction; 2) mentorship of junior faculty, post-doctoral fellows, and pre-doctoral fellows; and 3) translational training and education. Dr. Locher teaches graduate level courses in Patient-Based Health Outcomes and Aging Policy and is a frequent guest lecture in numerous venues throughout the Schools of Public Health, Medicine, and other Schools. She currently mentors (and previously has mentored) pre-doctoral students, post-doctoral fellows, and junior faculty. Dr. Locher was the recipient in 2011 of the UAB Graduate Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentorship. She has developed curricula focused specifically on nutrition and aging targeted at various community constituencies and the professional workforce. She has worked steadfastly to build community partnerships that direct attention toward key aging policy concerns. Under Dr. Locher’s leadership, UAB has sponsored since 2008 an annual Aging Policy Conference in collaboration with AARP Alabama that brings together leading national experts with local policy makers, politicians, and key stakeholders in the community. In 2010, Dr. Locher was awarded the Champion for Change award by AARP in Alabama. Dr. Locher served at the state-level on a committee to develop a new “State Plan on Aging” for Alabama that was approved in 2013; in 2010-11 worked with the Florida Department of Elder Affairs to revise their programs related to Geriatric Nutrition and Community Service Provisions; and in 2013 worked with a local Area Agency on Aging in Vermont on a project to reduce hospital readmissions through provision of meals and social support in clients they serve. In 2011, Dr. Locher was awarded the UAB Center for Aging Faculty Service Award in recognition of her collaborative research efforts with community partners. Dr. Locher served on an International Panel of Experts convened by Nestlé Nutrition Institute in 2012 to examine ‘Quality of care improvement: Designing a comprehensive patient management protocol for early screening and intervention among at-risk and elderly patients’.

    • Selected Publications

    Academic Article

    Year Title Altmetric
    2020 The Effect of Low-Carbohydrate and Low-Fat Diets on Pain in Individuals with Knee Osteoarthritis.  Pain Medicine.  21:150-160. 2020
    2019 Physical Function and Strength in Relation to Inflammation in Older Adults with Obesity and Increased Cardiometabolic Risk.  Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging.  23:949-957. 2019
    2019 Dietary Quality Assessed by the HEI-2010 and Biomarkers of Cardiometabolic Disease: An Exploratory Analysis.  Journal of the American College of Nutrition.  38:640-647. 2019
    2019 Head and neck cancer survivors' preferences for and evaluations of a post-treatment dietary intervention.  Nutrition Journal.  18. 2019
    2019 Radiation Oncologist Characteristics and their Association with Outcomes in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer.  Practical Radiation Oncology.  9:e322-e330. 2019
    2019 Understanding the Dietary Habits of Black Men With Diabetes.  Journal for Nurse Practitioners.  15:365-369. 2019
    2019 Feasibility Outcomes of a Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial to Increase Cruciferous and Green Leafy Vegetable Intake in Posttreatment Head and Neck Cancer Survivors.  Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.  119:659-671. 2019
    2018 A home-based mentored vegetable gardening intervention demonstrates feasibility and improvements in physical activity and performance among breast cancer survivors.  Cancer.  124:3427-3435. 2018
    2018 Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Home Vegetable Gardening Intervention among Older Cancer Survivors Shows Feasibility, Satisfaction, and Promise in Improving Vegetable and Fruit Consumption, Reassurance of Worth, and the Trajectory of Central Adiposity.  Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.  118:689-704. 2018
    2018 Social and Demographic Predictors of Nutritional Risk: Cross-sectional Analyses From the UAB Study of Aging II.  Family and Community Health.  41 Suppl 2 Suppl, Food Insecurity and Obesity:S33-S45. 2018
    2018 A high-fat compared with a high-carbohydrate breakfast enhances 24-hour fat oxidation in older adults.  Journal of Nutrition.  148:220-226. 2018
    2017 Effects of Calorie Restriction in Obese Older Adults: The CROSSROADS Randomized Controlled Trial.  Journals of Gerontology, Series A.  73:73-80. 2017
    2017 Associations between participation in family activities and adolescent school problems.  Child: Care, Health and Development.  43:361-368. 2017
    2017 Meals Enhancing Nutrition After Discharge: Findings from a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.  Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.  117:599-608. 2017
    2017 Cardiovascular health and healthcare utilization and expenditures among medicare beneficiaries: The reasons for geographic and racial differences in stroke (REGARDS) study.  Journal of the American Heart Association : Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease.  6. 2017
    2016 Calorie restriction in overweight older adults: Do benefits exceed potential risks?.  Experimental Gerontology.  86:4-13. 2016
    2016 Alone at the Table: Food Behavior and the Loss of Commensality in Widowhood.  Journals of Gerontology, Series B.  71:1059-1069. 2016
    2016 Modulating Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Elders: The MOXIE Study.  Journal of Nutrition for the Elderly.  35:219-242. 2016
    2016 Detailed methods of two home-based vegetable gardening intervention trials to improve diet, physical activity, and quality of life in two different populations of cancer survivors.  Controlled Clinical Trials.  50:201-212. 2016
    2016 The E-Coach technology-assisted care transition system: a pragmatic randomized trial.  Translational Behavioral Medicine.  6:428-437. 2016
    2016 Comparison of posthospitalization function and community mobility in hospital mobility program and usual care patients a randomized clinical trial.  JAMA Internal Medicine.  176:921-927. 2016
    2016 Distinct age and self-rated health crossover mortality effects for African Americans: Evidence from a national cohort study.  Social Science and Medicine.  156:12-20. 2016
    2016 Comparison of long-term care in nursing homes versus home health: Costs and outcomes in Alabama.  Gerontologist.  56:215-221. 2016
    2016 Socioeconomic Status, Risk of Obesity, and the Importance of Albert J. Stunkard.  Current Obesity Reports.  5:132-139. 2016
    2016 The effects of state-level expenditures for home- and community-based services on the risk of becoming a long-stay nursing home resident after hip fracture.  Osteoporosis International.  27:953-961. 2016
    2016 Challenges to Healthy Eating Practices: A Qualitative Study of Non-Hispanic Black Men Living With Diabetes.  Diabetes Educator.  42:325-335. 2016
    2015 Food behavior change in late-life widowhood: A two-stage process.  Appetite.  95:399-407. 2015
    2015 A systematic review of the association between family meals and adolescent risk outcomes.  Journal of Adolescence.  44:134-149. 2015
    2015 Survival trends in hypopharyngeal cancer: A population-based review.  Laryngoscope.  125:624-629. 2015
    2015 Does Participation in Home-Delivered Meals Programs Improve Outcomes for Older Adults? Results of a Systematic Review.  Journal of Nutrition for the Elderly.  34:124-167. 2015
    2015 What Does the Evidence Reveal Regarding Home- and Community-Based Nutrition Services for Older Adults?.  Journal of Nutrition for the Elderly.  34:81-84. 2015
    2014 Neighborhood Disadvantage, Preconception Health Behaviors and Infant Birthweight: A Preliminary Study..  International Journal of Contemporary Sociology.  51:7-25. 2014
    2014 Calorie Restriction in Overweight Seniors: Response of Older Adults to a Dieting Study: The CROSSROADS Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.  Journal of Nutrition for the Elderly.  33:376-400. 2014
    2014 Nutritional risk and body mass index predict hospitalization, nursing home admissions, and mortality in community-dwelling older adults: Results from the UAB study of aging with 8.5 years of follow-up.  Journals of Gerontology, Series A.  69:1146-1153. 2014
    2014 The influence of gender, age, education and household size on meal preparation and food shopping responsibilities.  Public Health Nutrition.  17:2061-2070. 2014
    2014 Translational Advancements in Applications of Pureed Food.  Journal of Nutrition for the Elderly.  33:135-138. 2014
    2013 A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Theoretically-Based Behavioral Nutrition Intervention for Community Elders: Lessons Learned from the Behavioral Nutrition Intervention for Community Elders Study.  Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.  113:1675-1682. 2013
    2013 Dietary patterns are associated with incident stroke and contribute to excess risk of stroke in black americans.  Stroke.  44:3305-3311. 2013
    2013 Measuring symptoms in community-dwelling older adults: The psychometric properties of a brief symptom screen.  Medical Care.  51:949-955. 2013
    2013 Multimodal intervention to improve osteoporosis care in home health settings: Results from a cluster randomized trial.  Osteoporosis International.  24:2555-2560. 2013
    2013 Symptom burden predicts nursing home admissions among older adults.  Journal of Pain and Symptom Management.  46:591-597. 2013
    2013 Urinary incontinence in the 12-month postpartum period.  Obstetrical and Gynecological Survey.  68:629-630. 2013
    2013 Harvest for health gardening intervention feasibility study in cancer survivors.  Acta Oncologica.  52:1110-1118. 2013
    2013 Patterns of prophylactic gastrostomy tube placement in head and neck cancer patients: A consideration of the significance of social support and practice variation.  Laryngoscope.  123:1918-1925. 2013
    2013 Physical impairment is associated with nursing home admission for older adults in disadvantaged but not other neighborhoods: Results from the UAB study of aging.  Gerontologist.  53:641-653. 2013
    2013 Favorite foods of older adults living in the Black Belt Region of the United States. Influences of ethnicity, gender, and education.  Appetite.  63:18-23. 2013
    2013 Increased likelihood of long-term gastrostomy tube dependence in head and neck cancer survivors without partners.  Head & neck surgery.  35:420-425. 2013
    2013 Dietary patterns and diet quality among diverse older adults: The university of Alabama at Birmingham study of aging.  Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging.  17:19-25. 2013
    2013 FIELD NOTES: PEOPLE, PROGRAMS, & POLICIES Farmers' Market Produce Delivery Program for Mitigating Nutritional Risk in Older Adults..  Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition.  8:1-10. 2013
    2013 Farmers' Market Produce Delivery Program for Mitigating Nutritional Risk in Older Adults.  Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition.  8:106-108. 2013
    2013 Mealtime assistance for hospitalized older adults - A report on the spoons volunteer program.  Journal of Gerontological Nursing.  39:18-22. 2013
    2012 Nutrition and aging: Nutritional health inequity.  Journal of Aging Research.  2012. 2012
    2012 Influenza immunization in older adults with and without cancer.  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.  60:2099-2103. 2012
    2012 A State-Level Examination of the Association Between Home and Community-Based Services and Rates of Nursing Home Residency with Special Attention to Nutrition Programs.  Journal of Nutrition for the Elderly.  31:404-424. 2012
    2012 Symptom burden predicts hospitalization independent of comorbidity in community-dwelling older adults.  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.  60:1632-1637. 2012
    2012 Inflammatory biomarkers as predictors of hospitalization and death in community-dwelling older adults.  Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics.  54. 2012
    2012 The association between Healthy Eating Index-2005 scores and disability among older Americans.  Age and Ageing.  41:365-371. 2012
    2012 Gastrostomy tube placement and use in patients with head and neck cancer.  Head & neck surgery.  34:422-428. 2012
    2012 Higher healthy eating index-2005 scores are associated with better physical performance.  Journals of Gerontology, Series A.  67 A:93-99. 2012
    2012 Improving osteoporosis care in high-risk home health patients through a high-intensity intervention.  Controlled Clinical Trials.  33:206-212. 2012
    2011 A theoretically based behavioral nutrition intervention for community elders at high risk: The B-NICE randomized controlled clinical trial.  Journal of Nutrition for the Elderly.  30:384-402. 2011
    2011 Recruitment of volunteers for a home-delivered meals programme serving homebound older adults: A theoretically derived programme among faith communities.  Public Health Nutrition.  14:1473-1478. 2011
    2011 "Never the Twain shall meet": Dual systems exacerbate malnutrition in older adults recently discharged from hospitals.  Journal of Nutrition for the Elderly.  30:24-28. 2011
    2011 Smoking modifies the association between food insecurity and physical performance.  Journal of Nutrition for the Elderly.  30:140-153. 2011
    2011 Prophylactic percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube placement in treatment of head and neck cancer: A comprehensive review and call for evidence-based medicine.  Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.  35:365-374. 2011
    2011 Nutritional processes of care for older adults admitted to an oncology-acute care for elders unit.  Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology.  78:73-78. 2011
    2011 Diagnosis-to-treatment interval and control of locoregionally advanced head and neck cancer.  Archives of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery.  137:282-285. 2011
    2011 Undernutrition at Baseline and Health Services Utilization and Mortality Over a 1-Year Period in Older Adults Receiving Medicare Home Health Services.  Journal of the American Medical Directors Association.  12:287-294. 2011
    2010 Disruptions in the organization of meal preparation and consumption among older cancer patients and their family caregivers.  PSYCHO-ONCOLOGY.  19:967-974. 2010
    2010 Identifying types of nursing facility stays using medicare claims data: An algorithm and validation.  Health Services and Outcomes Research Methodology.  10:100-110. 2010
    2010 Reliability and Predictive Validity of Energy Intake Measures from the 24-Hour Dietary Recalls of Homebound Older Adults.  Journal of The American Dietetic Association.  110:773-778. 2010
    2010 Undernutrition in hospitalized older adults: Patterns and correlates, outcomes, and opportunities for intervention with a focus on processes of care.  Journal of Nutrition for the Elderly.  29:4-41. 2010
    2009 The contribution of social factors to undereating in older adults with cancer.  Journal of Supportive Oncology.  7:168-173. 2009
    2009 Food choice among homebound older adults: Motivations and perceived barriers.  Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging.  13:659-664. 2009
    2009 The effects of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 on home health and hospice in older adult cancer patients.  Medical Care.  47:279-285. 2009
    2009 Factors Associated With Long-Term Dysphagia After Definitive Radiotherapy for Locally Advanced Head-and-Neck Cancer.  International Journal of Radiation Oncology - Biology - Physics.  73:410-415. 2009
    2008 A multidimensional approach to understanding under-eating in homebound older adults: The importance of social factors.  Gerontologist.  48:223-234. 2008
    2008 Pretreatment swallowing exercises improve swallow function after chemoradiation.  Laryngoscope.  118:39-43. 2008
    2008 Unintentional weight loss predicts decline in activities of daily living function and life-space mobility over 4 years among community-dwelling older adults.  Journals of Gerontology, Series A.  63:67-75. 2008
    2007 Association between aspects of oral health-related quality of life and body mass index in community-dwelling older adults.  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.  55:1808-1816. 2007
    2007 Body mass index, weight loss, and mortality in community-dwelling older adults.  Journals of Gerontology, Series A.  62:1389-1392. 2007
    2006 The relationship between sociodemographic factors and oral health-related quality of life in dentate and edentulous community-dwelling older adults.  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.  54:1701-1712. 2006
    2006 Global ratings of patient satisfaction and perceptions of improvement with treatment for urinary incontinence: Validation of three global patient ratings.  Neurourology and Urodynamics.  25:411-417. 2006
    2006 Patterns and predictors of home health and hospice use by older adults with cancer.  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.  54:1206-1211. 2006
    2006 Ethical issues involving research conducted with homebound older adults.  Gerontologist.  46:160-164. 2006
    2006 Preoperative biofeedback assisted behavioral training to decrease post-prostatectomy incontinence: A randomized, controlled trial.  Journal of Urology, The.  175:196-201. 2006
    2005 Social isolation, support, and capital and nutritional risk in an older sample: Ethnic and gender differences.  Social Science and Medicine.  60:747-761. 2005
    2005 The effect of the presence of others on caloric intake in homebound older adults.  Journals of Gerontology, Series A.  60:1475-1478. 2005
    2004 Pelvic floor electrical stimulation did not improve the efficacy of behavioural training for stress incontinence.  Evidence-based Obstetrics and Gynecology.  6:37-38. 2004
    2003 Predictors of outcome in the behavioral treatment of urinary incontinence in women..  Obstetrics and Gynecology.  102:940-947. 2003
    2003 Effect of Behavioral Training with or Without Pelvic Floor Electrical Stimulation on Stress Incontinence in Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial.  Journal of the American Medical Association.  290:345-352. 2003
    2003 Biofeedback did not improve the results of behavioural training for urge urinary incontinence in older women.  Evidence-based Obstetrics and Gynecology.  5:84-85. 2003
    2003 Cadaveric fascia lata sling for stress urinary incontinence: A prospective quality-of-life analysis.  American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.  189:1590-1595. 2003
    2003 Predictors of outcome in the behavioral treatment of urinary incontinence in women.  Obstetrics and Gynecology.  102:940-947. 2003
    2003 Urinary incontinence in the 12-month postpartum period.  Obstetrics and Gynecology.  102:1291-1298. 2003
    2002 Behavioral training with and without biofeedback in the treatment of urge incontinence in older women: A randomized controlled trial.  Journal of the American Medical Association.  288:2293-2299. 2002
    2002 Urodynamic changes associated with behavioral and drug treatment of urge incontinence in older women.  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.  50:808-816. 2002
    2002 Effects of age and causal attribution to aging on health-related behaviors associated with urinary incontinence in older women.  Gerontologist.  42:515-521. 2002
    2001 Psychological improvements associated with behavioral and drug treatment of urge incontinence in older women.  Journals of Gerontology, Series B.  56:P46-P51. 2001
    2001 Reliability assessment of the bladder diary for urinary incontinence in older women.  Journals of Gerontology, Series A.  56. 2001
    2000 Combined behavioral and drug therapy for urge incontinence in older women.  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.  48:370-374. 2000
    2000 Measurement of postvoid residual urine with portable transabdominal bladder ultrasound scanner and urethral catheterization.  International Urogynecology Journal.  11:296-300. 2000
    1998 Behavioral vs drug treatment for urge urinary incontinence in older women: A randomized controlled trial.  Journal of the American Medical Association.  280:1995-2000. 1998
    1998 The social significance of food and eating in the lives of older recipients of meals on wheels.  Journal of Nutrition for the Elderly.  17:15-33. 1998
    1997 Nutritional status of urban homebound older adults.  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.  66:815-818. 1997
    1996 An interdisciplinary approach to the assessment and behavioral treatment of urinary incontinence in geriatric outpatients.  Japanese Journal of Nursing Research.  29:425-431. 1996
    1996 Nocturnal enuresis in community-dwelling older adults.  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.  44:139-143. 1996
    1996 Urinary incontinence during pregnancy in a racially mixed sample: Characteristics and predisposing factors.  International Urogynecology Journal.  7:69-73. 1996
    1994 Constipation in the Elderly: Influence of Dietary, Psychological, and Physiological Factors.  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.  42:701-706. 1994
    1994 Treatment Seeking for Urinary Incontinence in Older Adults.  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.  42:208-212. 1994
    1993 Physiologic and psychologic characteristics of an elderly population with chronic constipation.  American Journal of Gastroenterology.  88:1854-1859. 1993
    1992 An Interdisciplinary Approach to the Assessment and Behavioral Treatment of Urinary Incontinence in Geriatric Outpatients.  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.  40:370-374. 1992
    1992 Psychological Evaluation of Patients with Severe Idiopathic Constipation: Which Instrument to Use.  American Journal of Gastroenterology.  87:977-980. 1992
    1991 Adult Development, Control, and Adaptive Functioning.  Journal of Social Issues.  47:177-196. 1991
    1991 Lower extremity arterial disease in elderly subjects with systolic hypertension.  Journal of Clinical Epidemiology.  44:15-20. 1991
    1991 Normative patterns of diurnal urination across 6 age decades.  Journal of Urology, The.  145:728-731. 1991

    Book

    Year Title Altmetric
    2015 Handbook of clinical nutrition and aging, third edition 2015

    Chapter

    Year Title Altmetric
    2015 Food insecurity and hunger among older adults.  147-159. 2015

    Research Overview

  • Dr. Locher’s primary area of research focuses on social and environmental factors (including especially the roles of social support and community and health care practices and policies) that affect eating behaviors and nutrition-related health outcomes in older adults and in cancer patients and survivors. Most of her work has been observational, but it also includes interventional research and health services research utilizing large databases. A second and related area of interest focuses on examining practices and policies that affect the overall well-being of older adults and cancer patients and survivors, particularly those diagnosed with head and neck cancer, and identifying ways to best deliver quality care and services within the community, especially that related to nutritional well-being, to these populations over the long term.

    Principal research activities include:

    Evaluation of the effectiveness of providing meals to older adults who have been recently discharged from the hospital to prevent hospital readmissions.

    Studying: 1) eating behaviors and nutrition issues of older adults in community and hospital settings and 2) the various dimensions through which nutrition affects patient-centered outcomes in older adults (including mobility trajectories and health service utilization).

    Comparing the effects of changes in diet composition alone or combined with weight loss with an exercise only control intervention on body composition, disease risk function, and quality of life in obese older adults.

    Examination of practice variation associated with prophylactic PEG tube placement in the treatment of head and neck cancer patients, factors associated with practice variation, and outcomes associated with prophylactic PEG tube placement using SEER-Medicare Data.

    Exploration of food and eating behaviors of head and neck cancer patients and survivors with an emphasis on the role of social support and learned non-use.

    • Principal Investigator On

    Investigator On

  • UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC)  awarded by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases/NIH/DHHS 2018 - 2022
  • UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center - Enrichment Program  awarded by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases/NIH/DHHS 2018 - 2022
  • Harvest for Health in Older Cancer Survivors  awarded by National Cancer Institute/NIH/DHHS 2016 - 2021
  • Intergenerational Transmission of Obesity  awarded by American Heart Association 2017 - 2021
  • Intergenerational Transmission of Obesity - UAB Strategically Focused Obesity Center (SFOC)  awarded by American Heart Association 2017 - 2021
  • UAB Pre-Doctoral Training In Obesity-Related Research  awarded by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute/NIH/DHHS 2017 - 2020
  • Factors Influencing Vasectomy Use  awarded by National Institute of Child Health and Human Development/NIH/DHHS 2014 - 2019
  • UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center  awarded by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases/NIH/DHHS 2017 - 2018
  • UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center - Administrative Core  awarded by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases/NIH/DHHS 2017 - 2018
  • UAB Pre-Doctoral Training in Obesity-Related Research  awarded by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute/NIH/DHHS 2015 - 2017
  • UAB Obesity Training Program  awarded by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases/NIH/DHHS 2014 - 2017
  • UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC)  awarded by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases/NIH/DHHS 2017
  • UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC) - Enrichment Program  awarded by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases/NIH/DHHS 2017
  • UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center  awarded by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases/NIH/DHHS 2012 - 2017
  • UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center - NORC Enrichment Program  awarded by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases/NIH/DHHS 2012 - 2017
  • Vegetable Garden Feasibility Trial to Promote Function in Older Cancer Survivors  awarded by National Cancer Institute/NIH/DHHS 2014 - 2016
  • Mobility Among Older African Americans and Whites  awarded by National Institute on Aging/NIH/DHHS 2014 - 2016
  • UAB Pre-Doctoral Training Program in Obesity-Related Research  awarded by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute/NIH/DHHS 2010 - 2015
  • Alabama Public Health Training Center (AL PHTC)  awarded by Health Resources and Services Administration/DHHS 2011 - 2014
  • Mobility Among Older African Americans and Whites  awarded by National Institute on Aging/NIH/DHHS 2010 - 2014
  • Deep South Musculoskeletal Certs (DSMC)  awarded by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality/DHHS 2007 - 2012

    • Education And Training

  • Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology, University of Alabama at Birmingham 1999
  • Master of Science in Sociology, University of Pittsburgh 1989

    • Full Name

  • Julie Locher

    • Blazerid

  • jlocher