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Dr. Dania Orta-Aleman

Assistant Project Scientist
Nutrition Policy Institute (NPI)
1111 Franklin Street
11th Floor
Oakland, CA 94607
dorta@ucdavis.edu Create VCard

Also in:
Nutrition Policy Institute (NPI)

Biography

Dania Orta-Aleman earned her PhD in Human Nutrition from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where her dissertation focused on the factors associated with red and processed meat consumption among low-income households in the US. Dania also holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from the University of California, Berkeley, and a BA in Political Science from Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM).

Research Interests and Expertise

Dania's research is centered on evaluating federal food assistance programs, social determinants of health inequities, maternal and child health, food policies, and food systems. Her methodological expertise includes methods for causal inference, impact program evaluation, quasi-experimental methodologies, systems science, nutrition epidemiology, and qualitative data analysis.

Professional Experience

Currently, Dania serves as an Assistant Project Scientist at the Nutrition Policy Institute (NPI), University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources. In this role, she leads and collaborates on research projects evaluating the impact of Universal Free School Meals (UFSM) policies. Her work involves designing and executing quantitative and qualitative impact evaluations, developing research protocols and data collection instruments, and disseminating findings through reports, policy briefs, and peer-reviewed publications.

Her previous work includes conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses for the World Health Organization. She contributed to the Hopkins/USDA Participant Research Innovation Laboratory for Enhancing WIC Services and the impact evaluation of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative on breastfeeding practices among WIC participants. Collaborating with the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, she worked on diverse research projects, including evaluating Food Policy Councils in the US and the Baltimore Food Policy Initiative. Additionally, she has conducted systematic literature reviews to inform the strategic planning for California's SNAP-Ed program. Dania's international expertise is highlighted by her coordination of data collection and analysis for the Older Adults Health and Nutrition Survey in Mexico City and the evaluation of a nutritional component of the Prospera/Oportunidades conditional cash transfer program in Mexico.

Education

PhD Human Nutrition, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. 2023
MPH Epidemiology/ Biostatistics, University of California, Berkeley. 2017
BA Political Science, Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico (ITAM). 2012

Discipline

Nutrition

Specialty

Epidemiology/ Program Evaluation/ Nutrition Policy

Bibliography

Peer Reviewed

  • Tomori, C.; O’Connor, D. L.; Ververs, M.; Orta-Aleman, D.; Paone, K.; Budhathoki, C.; & Pérez-Escamilla, R. (2024). Critical Research Gaps in Treating Growth Faltering in Infants under 6 Months: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. PLOS Global Public Health. 4:1.
  • Zuercher, M.D.; Cohen, J.F.; Ohri-Vachaspati, P.; Hecht, C.A.; Hecht, K.; Polacsek, M.; Olarte, D.A.; Read, M.; Patel, A.I.; Schwartz, M.B.; Orta-Aleman, D.; Ritchie, L. D.; & Gosliner, W. (2024). Parent perceptions of school meals and how perceptions differ by race and ethnicity. Health Affairs Scholar. 2:1. https://doi.org/10.1093/haschl/qxad092
  • Zuercher, M.D.; Cohen, J.F.; Hecht, C.A.; Hecht, K.; Orta-Aleman, D.; Patel, A.; Olarte, D.A.; Chapman, L.E.; Read, M.; Schwartz, M.B.; Ritchie, L.D; Gosliner, W. (2024). Parent Perceptions of School Meals Influence Student Participation in School Meal Programs. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 56:4, 230-241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2024.01.003
  • Orta-Aleman, D.; Zuercher, M.; Bacon, K.; Chelius, C.; Hecht, C.; Hecht, K.; Ritchie, L. D.; Cohen, J.F.W.; Gosliner, W. (2024). Students’ Perspectives on the Benefits and Challenges of Universal School Meals Related to Food Accessibility, Stigma, Participation, and Waste. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2024.04.011
  • Zuercher, M. D.; Orta-Aleman, D.; Cohen, J. F.; Hecht, C. A.; Hecht, K.; Polacsek, M.; Patel, A.I.; Ritchie, L. D.; Gosliner, W. (2024). The Benefits and Challenges of Providing School Meals during the First Year of California’s Universal School Meal Policy as Reported by School Foodservice Professionals. Nutrients. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16121812
  • Augustyn, Marycatherine; Haskins, Danielle; Gross, Susan; Resnik, Amy Kovar; Ducharme Smith, Kirstie; Orta-Aleman, Dania; Silbert-Flagg, JoAnne; Rosenblum, Nadine; Caulfield, Laura (2023). Maternity care experiences and breastfeeding at discharge among Maryland WIC participants: A qualitative analysis. Birth. 50. August. https://doi.org/10.1111/birt.12758
  • Gross, S.M.; Orta-Aleman, D.; Resnik, A.K.; Ducharme-Smith, K.; Augustyn, M.; Silbert-Flagg, J.; Rosenblum, N.; Caulfield, L.E. (2022). Baby Friendly Hospital Designation and Breastfeeding Outcomes Among Maryland WIC Participants. Maternal and Child Health Journal. 26:5, 1153-1159. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-022-03410-9
  • Vilar Compte, M.; Pérez Escamilla, R.; Orta Aleman, D.; Cruz Villalba, V.; Segura Pérez, S.; Nyhan, K.; Richter, L. M. (2022). Impact of Baby Behavior on Caregiver’s Infant Feeding Decisions during the First 6 Months of Life: A Systematic Review. Maternal & Child Nutrition. 18. https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13345
  • Ducharme-Smith, K.; Gross, S.M.; Resnik, A.; Rosenblum, N.; Dillaway, C.; Orta Aleman, D.; Augustyn, M.; Silbert-Flagg, J.; Caulfield, L.E. (2021). Exposure to baby-friendly hospital practices and breastfeeding outcomes of WIC participants in Maryland. Journal of Human Lactation. 38:1, 78-88. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890334421993771
  • Liu, Y.; Thorne-Lyman, A. L.; Song, S.; Orta-Alemán, D.; Ma, Y.; Wen, D. (2020). Caregiver perceptions of the neighborhood food environment and their relationship with the home food environment and childhood obesity in Northeast China. Appetite. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2019.104447
  • Martínez-Martínez, O. A.; Coronado-García, M.; Orta-Aleman, D. (2020). The effect of cash transfers from the PROSPERA programme (formerly Oportunidades) on poverty in urban households in Northeast Mexico. Journal of International and Comparative Social Policy. 36:2, 142-158. https://doi.org/10.1080/21699763.2019.1641133
  • Vilar-Compte, M.; Martínez-Martínez, O.; Orta-Aleman, D.; Perez-Escamilla, R. (2016). Functional Limitations, Depression, and Cash Assistance are Associated with Food Insecurity among Older Urban Adults in Mexico City. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved. 27, 1537-1554. https://doi.org/10.1353/hpu.2016.0130
  • Vilar-Compte, M.; Bernal-Stuart, A.; Orta-Alemán, D.; Ochoa-Rivera, T.; Pérez-Escamilla, R. (2014). Is the Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale and appropriate instrument for Mexican urban older adults. The Journal of Frailty and Aging. 3:3. https://doi.org/10.14283/jfa.2014.20

Non-Peer Reviewed

  • Orta-Aleman, D; C., Hecht; K., Hecht; M., Zuercher; L., Ritchie; J.F.W., Cohen; W., Gosliner (2024). Research Brief: School Meals for All in California – Strongly supported by parents of all income levels. Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. https://ucanr.edu/sites/NewNutritionPolicyInstitute/files/395529.pdf
  • M., Zuercher; Orta-Aleman, D.; C., Hecht; K., Hecht; L., Ritchie; W., Gosliner (2024). Research Brief: School Meals for All in California: Government investments are associated with better meal operations, labor practices, and local food sourcing. Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources. https://ucanr.edu/sites/NewNutritionPolicyInstitute/files/397262.pdf
  • Orta-Aleman, Dania; Chelius, Carolyn; Bacon, Kassandra; Hecht, Christina; Hecht, Kenneth; Zuercher, Monica; Ritchie, Lorrene; Gosliner, W (2023). Research Brief: School Meals for All: Farm Fresh Food. Nutrition Policy Institute. June. https://ucanr.edu/sites/NewNutritionPolicyInstitute/files/385523.pdf
  • Zuercher, Monica; Bacon, Kassandra; Orta-Aleman, Dania; Hecht, Christina; Hecht, Kenneth; Ritchie, Lorrene; Gosliner, W (2023). School Meals for All in California: Perceptions of Time to Eat from Food Service Directors, Parents and Students. Nutrition Policy Institute. April. https://ucanr.edu/sites/NewNutritionPolicyInstitute/files/383408.pdf
  • Orta-Aleman, Dania; Thorne-Lyman, Andrew; Neff, Roni; Wolfson, Julia; Caulfield, Laura (2023). The Cost of Substituting Red Meat or Processed Meat for Other High-Protein Food Sources. Current Developments in Nutrition. July. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2475299123255390?via%3Dihub
  • Blondin, K.; Orta-Aleman, D.; Woodward-Lopez, G. (2017). Early Care and Education Interventions for Promoting Nutrition and Physical Activity & Preventing Obesity. A Systematic Review of the Evidence. Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources. https://ucanr.edu/sites/NewNutritionPolicyInstitute/files/304182.pdf
  • Blondin, K.; Crawford, P.; Orta-Aleman, D.; Randel-Schreiber, H.; Strochlic, R.; Webb, K.; Woodward-Lopez, G. (2017). School-based interventions for promoting nutrition and physical activity & preventing obesity: overview of studies and findings. Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources. https://ucanr.edu/sites/NewNutritionPolicyInstitute/files/317758.pdf
  • Blondin, K.; Orta-Aleman, D.; Woodward-Lopez, G.; Gosliner, W.; Crawford, P. (2016). Health Promotion Strategies for Retail Food Shopping Venues. A Systematic Review of the Evidence. Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources. http://npi.ucanr.edu/files/263765.pdf

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