Overview
Ashleigh N. Shields, PhD, MPH is an Assistant Teaching Professor at Northeastern University, Boston campus, in the Department of Health Sciences at the Bouvé College of Health Sciences, and Department of Communication Studies at the College of Arts, Media, and Design.
Dr. Shields has a PhD in health communication and an MPH from Purdue University, with a focus on family and community health. She is interested in educational evaluation of stigmatized health topics. As a researcher, she explores how social interactions — through listening and disclosure — affect how individuals perceive and value themselves, and how social interactions can help prevent or aid in recovery from stigmatized health topics such as eating disorders, diet culture, body image, and sexual and reproductive health. Dr. Shields endeavors to apply what she has learned through her research and teaching in her community work.
The main courses taught by Dr. Shields consist of Interpersonal and Health Communication within the Department of Communication Studies, and Communication Skills for the Health Professions in the Department of Health Sciences.
She also co-leads the Link Lab with Dr. Jennifer Evans. The lab is committed to advancing education, communication, and research in sexual and reproductive health, disordered eating, eating disorders (DEEDs) and diet culture. This lab also provides undergraduate and graduate students with research experience focused on these areas.
