Pennington Biomedical Research Center hosted Hollie Raynor, Ph.D., RD, LDN, for the Forge AHEAD December seminar, where she presented “Translating Research into Practice: Childhood Obesity.” Dr. Raynor, a professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and expert in clinical psychology and public health nutrition, shared her innovative approach to addressing childhood obesity through evidence-based lifestyle interventions.
Her presentation focused on translating rigorous research into accessible, real-world solutions, particularly in underserved communities. Drawing on her extensive work with federally qualified health centers, Dr. Raynor highlighted practical strategies for implementing family-based behavioral interventions and reducing barriers to care, such as transportation and technology access. She emphasized the importance of tailoring interventions to the unique needs of families, noting, “Translation requires a lot of thought regarding settings, implementers, and patients.”
Through examples from her research, Dr. Raynor illustrated how culturally informed and scalable strategies can help mitigate health disparities, improve dietary habits, and promote sustainable weight management in children. The Forge AHEAD Center thanks Dr. Raynor for her valuable insights into bridging the gap between research and practice to advance health equity.