Natalia Santos, PhD, MPH
Assistant Professor, UNMC Department of Health Promotion
Health Promotion Specialist, Nebraska Extension
Natalia Santos, PhD, MPH, is an assistant professor for the Department of Health Promotion at the UNMC College of Public Health. Her research is dedicated to reducing chronic disease by addressing food insecurity and food access in rural communities, incorporating mixed-methods research, geospatial analysis and the role of built environments on health. She prioritizes integrating science into practice and consistently strives to design and implement culturally appropriate, evidence-based interventions. In her spare time, Dr. Santos likes to listen to audiobooks, pretend she wants a dog and build Legos with her children.
- PhD: Health Promotion, UNMC, 2025
- MPH: University of Iowa, 2016
- BS: Nutrition and Exercise Science, UNL, 2013
- Santos, N. B., Alves, T. F., Fernandez, T., & Abresch, C. (2025). Policy, Price, and Perception: A Phenomenological Qualitative Study of the Rural Food Environment Among Latina Households. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(12), 1800.
- Thais Favero Alves, Natalia Santos, et al. Improving Materials for a Technology-Based Childhood Obesity Intervention for Hispanic/Latino Families in Rural Nebraska: A Mixed-Method Usability Test. JMIR Human Factors (2025) (in print).
- Santos N, Lopes AAS, Benedetti T, Rech CR. The moderating impact of community-built environments on a behavior intervention program to increase health outcomes for insufficiently active adults. Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health. 2025/07/30/ 2025:102156
- de Leon, E.B., Campos, H.L.M., Santos, N.B. et al. Patient activation levels and socioeconomic factors among the Amazonas population with diabetes: a cross-sectional study. BMC Health Serv Res 24, 169 (2024).
- “Analyzing Food Access: An Investigation of Food Insecurity Amongst Latinos in Rural Nebraska” Speaker Series Lecture for the Public Health Association of Nebraska (PHAN); 2026; Online.
- “Navigating the Food Environment: A Phenomenological Study with Rural Latinas” Poster Presentation at the American Public Health Association (APHA) 2025; Washington, DC.
- “Translating Policy, Systems, and Environmental Changes into Practice.” Workforce development session: at the National Farm to School Network. (NFSN) 10th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference; 2025, Albuquerque, NM
- “Moderating impacts of community-built environments on a behavior intervention program for older adults in Brazil.” Oral Presentation at the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA); 2024; Omaha, NE.
- “Mapping community vulnerability to food insecurity.” Webinar for the USDA FNS Office of Evidence, Analysis, and Regulatory Affairs. Nutrition, Evaluation, Research, Design, and Science Meeting Series; 2024, Online.
- “People Get Hangry: Discussing the relationship between food insecurity and violence.” Speaker Series Lecture for the Nebraska Collaborative for Violence Interventions and Prevention; 2024; Omaha, NE.
Dr. Santos’ teaching philosophy centers on fostering critical thinking, nurturing a growth mindset, demonstrating the real-world applications of public health and embracing differences in experiences.
Students should expect to leave their classes feeling equipped to tackle their course work, reviewing peer-reviewed articles and trusted health evidence, knowing how to apply information and being unafraid of asking questions.