Elsie M. Taveras, MD, MPH

Department	General Pediatrics
Hospital Title	Principal Investigator
Academic Title	Assistant Professor
Phone	617-509-9928
Fax	617-509-9853
Email	Elsie Taveras
Location	133 Brookline Ave. Boston MA 02115

Research Overview

The main focus of Dr. Taveras' research has been examining the epidemiologic and health services research aspects of nutrition and physical activity as they affect child health.

The goals of Dr. Taveras' research include:

To enhance the current knowledge of the behavioral, socio-cultural, and environmental influences on diet and activity patterns among underserved populations

About Elsie Taveras

Dr. Taveras is an Assistant Professor of Ambulatory Care and Prevention and Pediatrics in the Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention, Harvard Pilgrim Health care and Harvard Medical School, and is a pediatrician and health services researcher who works with DACP's Center for Child Health Care Studies. She also co-directs DACP's Obesity Prevention Program. Her research interests include nutrition and physical activity as they affect child health and childhood obesity prevention. Dr. Taveras is a recipient of the Physician Faculty Scholars Program from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to examine opportunities for childhood obesity prevention among underserved populations. Dr. Taveras trained in Pediatrics at Children's Hospital Boston and Boston Medical Center and received her Master's Degree in Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health. She is also the director of the One Step Ahead clinic, a multidisciplinary childhood overweight prevention and early management program at Children's Hospital Boston.

Publications

• Taveras EM, Rifas-Shiman SL, Berkey CS, Rockett HRH, Field AE, Frazier AL, Colditz GA, Gillman MW. Family dinner and adolescent overweight. Obesity Research. 2005;13:900-906.
   
• Taveras EM, Berkey CS, Rifas-Shiman SL, Ludwig DS, Rockett HRH, Field AE, Colditz GA, Gillman MW. The Association of fried food consumption away from home with body mass index and diet quality in older children and adolescents. Pediatrics. 2005;116:e518-e524.
   
• Taveras EM, Sandora TJ, Shih M, Ross-Degnan D, Goldmann DA, and Gillman MW. The association of television and video viewing with fast food intake in preschool-age children. Obesity. 2006;14:2034-2041.
   
• Taveras EM, Rifas-Shiman SL, Camargo CA, Gold DR, Litonjua AA, Oken E, Weiss ST, Gillman MW. Higher adiposity in infancy associated with recurrent wheeze in a prospective cohort of children. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2008;121(5):1161-1166.e3.
   
• Taveras EM, Rifas-Shiman SL, Oken E, Gunderson EP, Gillman MW. Short sleep duration in infancy and risk of childhood overweight. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. 2008;162(4):305-311.