Andrea Lopez-Cepero
Asst Professor
Assistant Professor
Faculty, Epidemiology
Dr. López-Cepero is a population health researcher focusing on the prevention of cardiometabolic diseases among Latinx populations, particularly obesity and type 2 diabetes. She uses a biopsychosocial approach to understand how stress influences health through behavioral and physiological adaptations, with the ultimate goal of identifying novel intervention targets to improve Latinx health. Her current research documents stress-related eating behaviors (i.e., emotional and uncontrolled eating) in US Latinx adults and Puerto Rico, and evaluates their association with stressors and cardiometabolic markers. Additionally, her research explores novel resilience factors and how these may buffer the effect of stress on eating behaviors and health.
Areas of Interest
- Behavior and Health
- Cardiometabolic Diseases
- Health Disparities
- Nutrition
- Social Determinants of Health
Education
- PhD 2019, University of Massachusetts Medical School
- MHSN 2015, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus
- BS 2011, University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras Campus
Courses Taught
- EPI 591S: Social Epidemiology
Publications
- Andrea López-Cepero, H June O'Neill, Abrania Marrero, Luis M Falcon, Martha Tamez, José F Rodríguez-Orengo, Josiemer Mattei , 2022, Association between adverse experiences during Hurricane María and mental and emotional distress among adults in Puerto Rico, Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol , 57, 2423-2432
- Andrea A López-Cepero, Christine Frisard, Tanya M Spruill, Shakira F Suglia, Tené T Lewis, Stephenie C Lemon, Milagros C Rosal , 2022, Association Between Optimism and Negative Emotional Eating in Caribbean Latinx Adults in the Northeast US, Int J Behav Med, ,
- Lopez-Cepero A, O’neill J, Falcon LM, Tamez M, Tucker KL, Rodriguez-Orengo J, Mattei J., 2021, Associations Between Perceived Stress and Dietary Intake in Adults in Puerto Rico, Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 121, 762-769
- Lopez-Cepero A, Frisard C, Mattei J, Lemon SC, Rosal MC, 2021, Dysfunctional Eating Behaviors and Dietary Intake in Puerto Rico, Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 23, 867-870
- Rodriguez M, Lopez-Cepero A, Ortiz AP, Fernandez-Repollet E, Perez CM, 2021, Influence of Health Beliefs on COVID-19 Vaccination among Patients with Cancer and Other Comorbidities in Puerto Rico, Vaccines, 9, 994
- López-Cepero A, Cameron S, Negrón LE, Colón-López V, Colón-Ramos U, Mattei J, Fernández-Repollet E, Pérez CM, 2021, Uncertainty and unwillingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in adults residing in Puerto Rico: Assessment of perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors, Hum Vaccin Immunother , 17, 3441-3449
- Lopez-Cepero A, Frisard C, Bey G, Lemon S, and Rosal MC, 2020, Association between food insecurity and emotional eating in Latinos and the mediating role of perceived stress, Journal of Public Health Nutrition, 23, 642-648
- Lopez-Cepero A, Person S, Ockene I, Rosal MC, Tucker K, 2020, Changes in Glycemic Load Are Positively Associated with Small Changes in Primary Stress Markers of Allostatic Load in Puerto Rican Women, Journal of Nutrition, 150, 554-559
- Lopez-Cepero A, Frisard C, Lemon SC, Rosal MC, 2020, Emotional Eating Mediates the Relationship Between Food Insecurity and Obesity in Latina Women, Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 52, 995-1000
- Silfee V, Lopez-Cepero A, Lemon SC, Estabrook B, Nguyen O, Wang ML, Rosal MC, 2018, Adapting a Behavioral Weight Loss Intervention for Delivery via Facebook: A Pilot Series Among Low-Income Postpartum Women, JMIR Form Res, 2, e18
- Lopez-Cepero A, Leung K, Corvera S, Moore T, and Rosal MC, 2018, Association Between Obstetric Provider's Advice and Gestational Weight Gain, Maternal and Child Health Journal, 22, 1127-1134
- Lopez-Cepero A, Frisard C, Lemon S, and Rosal MC, 2018, Association of Dysfunctional Eating Patterns and Metabolic Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease among Latinos, Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 118, 849-856
- Haughton C, Silfee VJ, Wang ML, Lopez-Cepero A, Estabrook D, Frisard C, Rosal MC, Pagoto SL and Lemon S, 2018, Racial/ethnic representation in lifestyle weight loss intervention studies in the United States: A systematic review, Preventive Medicine Reports, 9, 131-137
- Lopez-Cepero A, Valencia A., Jimenez J., Lemon S., Palacios C., Rosal MC, 2017, Comparison of Dietary Quality Among Puerto Ricans Living in Massachusetts and Puerto Rico, Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 19, 494-498
- Lopez-Cepero A, Torres R, Elias A, Rosal M, Palacios C, 2015, Micronutrient Intake among Children in Puerto Rico: Dietary and Multivitamin-Multimineral Supplement Sources, International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research, 85, 329-339