Alicia Papanek, MS, CHES

Dissemination & Implementation Coordinator

SC CTSI Role

In her role with the SC CTSI Dissemination and Implementation (D&I) team, Alicia supports efforts to accelerate translational science by working closely with investigators, research teams, trainees, and community partners to integrate D&I principles, methods, and strategies across the translational research continuum. She assists in the development and delivery of D&I educational opportunities and consultation services to build D&I capacity among researchers and community partners and translate scientific discoveries into tools and resources for real-world use.

Contact Information

alicia.papanek@med.usc.edu

Professional Background

Alicia Papanek, MS, CHES holds a Master of Science in Nutrition Science (2020) from California State University, Los Angeles, a Master of Science in Family, Youth, and Community Sciences (2024) and a Graduate Certificate in Public Health (2022) from the University of Florida and is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). She specializes in program evaluation, implementation science, and qualitative and survey methodologies, with experience across the research continuum from research design to data collection, management, and analysis to the dissemination of findings through academic manuscripts and professional presentations. Her content expertise lies at the intersection of public health, youth and community development, and food systems. She has experience coordinating and conducting research in community food systems, nonprofit advocacy, and family-based education programs to support literacy and nutrition, in addition to working directly with academic institutions and nonprofits to design, build, and deliver educational programs. Across her work, she is committed to leveraging theory-driven approaches to inform strategic program planning and implementation that amplifies the impact of mission-driven organizations, and to the dissemination of evidence-based programs that improve health outcomes and foster holistic community well-being.

Interests

In her free time, Alicia loves to cook, host friends for dinner, hike in the Eastern Sierras, take her dog for long walks in the neighborhood, and tinker with house, furniture, art, and gardening projects.