Faculty and Staff Profiles

Stacy V. Lu, PhD, MSPH, is an Assistant Professor of Nutrition in the College of Health Sciences at the University of Memphis. Her research focuses on understanding and addressing the nutrition-related needs of parents with developmental disabilities and their families, particularly with regards to infant feeding and food security. More broadly, through her research, Dr. Lu aims to improve the health and well-being of disabled people across the life course by promoting equity and disability justice in nutrition support programs and services. 

Dr. Lu holds a doctorate and master’s degree in public health concentrated on maternal and child health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she was advised by Dr. Allison West and Dr. Susan Gross. Prior to her graduate studies, Dr. Lu earned a bachelor’s degree with research distinction in health promotion, nutrition, and exercise science from The Ohio State University, where she began her research journey under the mentorship of Dr. Irene Hatsu and Dr. Leanna Perez. 

• PhD Public Health (Maternal and Child Health) - Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health - December 2025
• Graduate Certificate Health Disparities and Health Inequality - Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health - May 2023
• Certified in Public Health (CPH)   - National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE) - August 2022
• Graduate Certificate Food Systems, the Environment and Public Health - Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health - December 2021
• MS Public Health (Maternal and Child Health) - Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health - May 2021
• Graduate Certificate Population and Health - Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health - August 2020
• Graduate Certificate Maternal and Child Health - Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health - August 2020
• BS with Research Distinction Health Promotion, Nutrition and Exercise Science - The Ohio State University - May 2019

• Assistant Professor, College of Health Sciences - University of Memphis - 2026-present
• Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health - Johns Hopkins University - 2020-2025
• Instructor/Teaching Fellow, Public Health Studies Program-Gordis Teaching Fellowship, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences - Johns Hopkins University - 2024-2025
• Co-Instructor, Medicine, Science, and the Humanities Program, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences - Johns Hopkins University - 2024
• Instructor, Special Opportunities for Undergraduate Learning Program - Johns Hopkins University - 2023
• Graduate Research Assistant, School of Nursing - Johns Hopkins University - 2022-2023
• Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health - Johns Hopkins University - 2020-2023
• Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Bloomberg School of Public Health - Johns Hopkins University - 2022
• Graduate Teaching Assistant, Summer at Hopkins Pre-College Program - Johns Hopkins University - 2022
• Lab Manager, Department of Human Sciences, College of Education and Human Ecology - The Ohio State University - 2018-2019
• Undergraduate Research Assistant, Department of Human Sciences, College of Education and Human Ecology - The Ohio State University - 2015-2019

• Maternal and Child Health Doctoral Student Training Grant - Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health - 2021-2025
• Willian Endowment for Excellence in Science - Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health - 2024
• John and Alice Chenoweth-Pate Fellowship - Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health - 2024
• Lisa L. Paine Graduate Fellowship in Nurse Midwifery, Perinatal, Maternal and Women’s Health - Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health - 2024
• Josephine Kohn and Family Fund - Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health - 2022
• Apgar/Bramley/Clifford Scholarship - Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health - 2022
• Anti-Hunger Advocate Scholarship - Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) - 2022
• Master’s Essay with Distinction Award - Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health - 2021
• Citizenship Award - Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health - 2021
• Second Year Master’s Tuition Scholarship - Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health - 2020-2021
• Maternal and Child Health Master’s Student Training Grant - Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health - 2019-2021
• First Place Award in Food Science, Safety and Security - Denman Undergraduate Research Forum, The Ohio State University - 2018

• NUTR 7710: Humanitarian Nutrition - University of Memphis
• NUTR 7800: Internship in Environmental Nutrition - University of Memphis
• NUTR 7850: Seminar in Environmental Nutrition - University of Memphis
• AS.145.108: Disability Futures: An Introduction to Medicine, Science, and the Humanities - Johns Hopkins University
• AS.280.477: Disability Justice and Public Health - Johns Hopkins University
• AS.360.111.02: A Disability Justice Perspective on Ethics and Research in Public Health - Johns Hopkins University
• AS.360.111.25: A Disability Justice Perspective on Ethics and Research in Public Health in the United States - Johns Hopkins University

• University of Memphis - Member, Scholarship Committee, College of Health Sciences - 2026-present
• Johns Hopkins University - Member, Doctor of Philosophy Board - 2024-2025
• Johns Hopkins University - Member, Doctoral Committee, Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health - 2023-2024
• Johns Hopkins University - Member, Teaching Council, Bloomberg School of Public Health - 2022-2023
• Johns Hopkins University - Graduate Student Panelist, Office of Inclusion, Diversity, Anti-Racism, and Equity, Bloomberg School of Public Health - 2022-2023
• Johns Hopkins University - Graduate Student Ambassador and Panelist, Office of Admissions, Bloomberg School of Public Health - 2020-2023
• BMC Public Health - Ad Hoc Journal Reviewer - 2024
• SSM-Qualitative Research in Health - Ad Hoc Journal Reviewer - 2024
• Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition - Ad Hoc Journal Reviewer - 2023
• Denman Undergraduate Research Forum-Session on Understanding Health Outcomes, The Ohio State University - Presentation Judge - 2021

• Lu, S. V., West, A. L., & Daniels, J. D. (2025). Experiences of Parents With Learning Differences in Early Childhood Home Visiting: A Qualitative Descriptive Study. Health Promotion Practice, 15248399251350631. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248399251350631.

• Sivamani, V.,* & Lu, S. V. (2025). Disability Dream Work for the Public’s Health. American Journal of Public Health (1971), 115(7), 1027–1028. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307972. (* Indicates mentored student co-author)

• Mmari, K., Harper, K., Kawatachi, J., Jenkins, M., Gross, S., Lu, S., Skinner, R., & Marshall, B. (2024). The Association between Federal Nutrition Assistance Programs and Adolescent Food Security during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from Baltimore, Maryland. Nutrients, 16(17): 2876.

• Jeffers, N., Lu, S. V., Gross, S., & West, A. (2024). Infant Feeding Support for Pregnant and Postpartum Parents With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Perspectives of WIC Staff. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 56(6), 399-405. (Selected as Editor's Choice Article)

• Lu, S.V., Harper, K.M., Ding, Y., Everett, J., Gross, J., Borman, R., Medina-Perez, K., Pinzini, B., Wilson, M.J., Gross, S.M. (2023). The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Experiences and Operations of Sponsors of the Summer Food Service Program in Maryland, USA: A Multiphase Mixed Methods Study. Nutrients, 15(7):1628.

• Harper, K., Caulfield, L. E., Lu, S.V., Mmari, K., Gross, S.M. (2022). Diet Quality and Contextual Factors Influencing Food Choice among Adolescents with Food Security and Food Insecurity in Baltimore City. Nutrients, 14(21), 4573.

• Harper, K., Everett, J., Borman, R., Gross, J., Lu, S.V., Wilson, M.J., Gross, S.M. (2022). Summer Food Service Program Meal Participation in Maryland Increased during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition, 18(6), 941-952.

• Hatsu, I.E., Eiterman, L., Stern, M., Lu, S., Johnstone, J.M., Leung, B.M., Srikanth, P., Robinette, L., Tost, G., Odei, J. B., Gracious, B. L., Arnold, L. E. (2022). Household Food Insecurity Is Associated with Symptoms of Emotional Dysregulation in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: The MADDY Study. Nutrients, 14(6), 1306.

• Lu, S.V., Gross, J., Harper, K.M., Medina-Perez, K., Wilson, M.J., Gross, S.M. (2022). Serving Summer Meals During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of 2 Summer Food Service Program Sponsors in Maryland. Journal of School Health. 92(5), 429-435.

• Lu, S.V., Leung, B.M., Bruton, A.M., Millington, E., Alexander, e, Camden, K., Hatsu, I., Johnstone, J.M., Arnold, L.E. (2022). Parents’ Priorities and Preferences for Treatment of Children with ADHD: Qualitative Inquiry in the MADDY Study. Child: care, health and development, 48(5), 852-861.

• West, A., Lu, S., Kandasamy, V., Daniels, J., DeVoe, M., Barnet, B. (2022). Caregivers with Learning Differences: A Scoping Review and Stakeholder-Engaged Process to Identify Screening Tools for Maternal and Early Childhood Home Visiting Programs. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 34(6), 1031-1051.

• Harper, K., Lu, S.V., Gross, J., Obudulu, C., Wilson, M.J., Gross, S.M. (2022). The Impact of Waivers on Summer Meal Participation in Maryland. Journal of School Health, 92(2), 157-166.

• Lu, S., Perez, L., Leslein, A., Hatsu, I. (2019). The relationship between food insecurity and symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in children: a summary of the literature. Nutrients, 11(3), 659.

• Lu, S.V., Jeffers, N.K., Gross, S.M., West, A.L. (2024). WIC Staff Perspectives on Infant Feeding Support for Pregnant and Postpartum Parents with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Poster presentation at the National WIC Association Nutrition Education and Breastfeeding Conference, November 19-21, 2024. Baltimore, MD. Presenter and contributor.
• Dunn, S.B., Lu, S.V., Hatsu, I.E. (2023). “Gotta eat it to survive”: A Mixed Methods Study of Youth Experiencing Homelessness and their Food Environment. Poster presentation at the American Society for Nutrition NUTRITION Conference, July 22-25, 2023. Boston, MA. Contributor.
• Lu, S.V., West, A.L., Daniels, J. (2023). Caregiver Perspectives on Home Visiting and Parenting with Learning Differences. Poster presentation at the Start Early National Home Visiting Summit, March 14-16, 2023. Virtual. Presenter and contributor.
• Tran, D., Lu, S.V.  (2022). Navigating COVID-19 Pandemic as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Women (AANHPI) with ADHD in Higher Education. Oral presentation at the Yale Women’s Mental Health Conference, May 7, 2022. Virtual. Co-presenter and contributor. 

• Lu, S.V. (2021). COVID-19 and Summer Meals Participation in Maryland. Oral presentation at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Day, November 17, 2021. Virtual. Presenter and contributor.

• Harper, K., Lu, S., Gross, S.M., Gross, J., Borman, R., Everett, J., Wilson, M.J. (2021). Improving meal participation during school closures: A case study to inform policy. Oral presentation at the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Expo, October 24-27, 2021. Virtual. Contributor.
• Lu, S.V. & Leung, B. (2021). Living with ADHD: Qualitative Findings on the Experiences of Families with Children with ADHD. Oral presentation at the Thinking Qualitatively Virtual Conference, July 5-9, 2021. Virtual. Presenter and contributor.

• Lu, S.V., Stern, M., Perez, L.F., Arnold, L.E., Johnstone, J., Gracious, B., Leung, B., Tost, G., Hatsu, I. E. (2019). Relationships between household food insecurity and severity of mood dysregulation symptoms in children with ADHD: Preliminary trends from the MADDY Study. Poster presentation at The Ohio State University 16th Annual Russell Klein Nutrition Research Symposium, April 18, 2019. Columbus, OH. Presenter and contributor.

• Lu, S.V., Stern, M., Perez, L.F., Arnold, L.E., Johnstone, J., Gracious, B., Leung, B., Tost, G., Hatsu, I.E. (2019). Relationships between household food insecurity and severity of mood dysregulation symptoms in children with ADHD: Preliminary trends from the MADDY Study. Poster presentation at The Ohio State University 24th Annual Denman Undergraduate Research Forum, February 20, 2019. Columbus, OH. Presenter and contributor.

• Lu, S., Perez, L.F., Hatsu, I.E. (2018). A Literature Review Assessing the Impact of Food Insecurity on Early Childhood Mental Health: An emphasis on ADHD. Poster presentation at The Ohio State University 15th Annual Russell Klein Nutrition Research Symposium, April 5, 2018. Columbus, OH. Presenter and contributor.

• Lu, S., Perez, L.F., Hatsu, I.E. (2018). A Literature Review Assessing the Impact of Food Insecurity on Early Childhood Mental Health: An emphasis on ADHD. Poster presentation at The Ohio State University 23rd Annual Denman Undergraduate Research Forum, April 3, 2018. Columbus, OH. Presenter and contributor.

• Starr, R., Deering, S., Kane, K., Barclay, E., Lu, S., Rusnak, S., Hatsu, I. (2017). An Assessment of Diet Quality and Health Related Quality of Life of Homeless Young Adults. Poster presentation at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo, October 22, 2017. Chicago, IL. Contributor.