Deborah Lou

Biography: Debbie Lou Program Analyst Active Living Research San Diego, CA Debbie Lou is the Program Analyst with Active Living Research (ALR), a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that uses evidence to fight childhood obesity and create more physically active communities. Ms. Lou translates and disseminates research on how the social and built environments impact public health. Ms. Lou engages with organizations across the nation to ensure that research can inform policy and practice to increase opportunities for physical activity, especially among minority and lower-income communities that are at highest risk for obesity. Ms. Lou manages ALR’s communication initiatives, including a bi-monthly newsletter, social media outreach, and a Dialogue for Health Web Forum series in partnership with the Public Health Institute. Ms. Lou is co-author of a research synthesis with Dr. Wendell Taylor titled “Do All Children Have Places to be Active?” This synthesis shows that lower-income people and racial and ethnic minorities often live in communities that discourage active living. She holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Updated August 2013