Abby King

Abby C. King, PhD, Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Professor, Department of Medicine, Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine

Research Description: Dr. King’s research program spans 30 years and focuses on the development, evaluation, and translation of state-of-the-science interventions to reduce chronic disease, including type 2 diabetes and its key risk factors, including physical inactivity, dietary intake, obesity, and sedentary behavior. As part of this work, she has developed and rigorously evaluated the effectiveness of state-of-the-art communication technologies and community-based participatory research perspectives to address health disparities among disadvantaged populations worldwide. She and her group have extensive collaborations with scientists in the Stanford University School of Medicine, including members of the SDRC. In particular, she is core faculty on the Diabetes Research for Equity through Advanced Multilevel Science Center for Diabetes Translational Research (DREAMS-CDTR) for the Stanford site. She will serve as consultant for the Health Equity and Action Translational (HEAT) core of this DREAMS-CDTR.

Selected relevant publications (Stanford DRC members in BOLD):

  1. Rydenstam T, Fell T, Buli BG, King AC, Bälter K. Using citizen science to understand the prerequisites for physical activity among adolescents in low socioeconomic status neighborhoods - The NESLA study. Health Place. 2020 Sep;65:102387. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102387. PMID: 32889390. 

  2. King AC. Solution-based science to prevent and control diabetes in underserved communities around the world (commentary, for Diabetes special section). Transl Behav Med. 2020 Feb 3;10(1):55-57. doi: 10.1093/tbm/ibz196. PMID: 32011718; PMCID: PMC7020389. 

  3. Fielding-Singh P, Patel ML, King AC, Gardner CD. Baseline Psychosocial and Demographic Factors Associated with Study Attrition and 12-Month Weight Gain in the DIETFITS Trial. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2019 Dec;27(12):1997-2004. doi: 10.1002/oby.22650. PMID: 31633313. 

  4. Gardner CD, Trepanowski JF, Del Gobbo LC, Hauser ME, Rigdon J, Ioannidis JPA, Desai M, King AC. Effect of Low-Fat vs Low-Carbohydrate Diet on 12-Month Weight Loss in Overweight Adults and the Association with Genotype Pattern or Insulin Secretion: The DIETFITS Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2018 Feb 20;319(7):667-679. doi: 10.1001/jama.2018.0245. PMID: 29466592. 

  5. King AC, Campero MI, Sheats JL, Castro Sweet CM, Hauser M, Garcia D, Chazaro A, Blanco G, Banda J, Ahn DK, Fernandez J, Bickmore T. (2020). Effects of counseling by peer human advisors vs. computers to increase walking in underserved populations: The COMPASS randomized clinical trial. JAMA Intern Med. Published online Sept 28, 2020; doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.4143.