Kimberly Nelson
Profiles

Kimberly M Nelson, PhD, MPH

Associate Professor, Community Health Sciences - Boston University School of Public Health

(617) 358-1482
knel@bu.edu
Crosstown Center
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Biography

Kimberly M. Nelson, PhD, MPH earned her MPH in epidemiology from the University of Washington (UW) and a PhD in clinical psychology also from UW. She is also faculty of the Fordham University Research Ethics Training Institute and a Society of Behavioral Medicine Fellow. Having both a public health and clinical psychology background, Dr. Nelson's research focuses on understanding and intervening on psychological and structural determinants of health inequities with a particular focus on sexual and mental health inequities among marginalized adolescents and young adults. Her work also focuses on the ethical and legal issues involved in sexual health research, practice, and interventions with adolescents and ways to use technology effectively and ethically for data collection and health promotion interventions.

Dr. Nelson also co-directs the Healthy and Empowered Youth (HEY!) Lab at BUSPH and serves as the Director of the Community Health Sciences PhD Program and Associate Chair of Research in the Community Health Sciences Department.

Other Positions

  • Associate Professor, Psychiatry - Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
  • Member, Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research - Boston University

Education

  • University of Washington, PhD Field of Study: Clinical/Counseling Psychology
  • University of Washington, MS Field of Study: Clinical/Counseling Psychology
  • University of Washington, MPH Field of Study: Epidemiology
  • Wesleyan University, BA Field of Study: Psychology

Websites

Classes Taught

  • SPHSB821

Publications

  • Published on 10/20/2026

    Edison B, Bond JC, Sauer J, Dunsiger SI, Underhill K, Austin SB, Ybarra ML, Nelson KM. Sexually transmitted infection testing among U.S. adolescents in relation to U.S. Preventive Services Task Force screening guidelines. Sex Health. 2026 Oct 20; 23(5). PMID: 42778524.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 10/1/2026

    Burris S, Chriqui JF, Yang YT, Austin SB, Berkman, LF, Brownson, RC, Cerdá M, Chua K, Diez Roux AV, Gonsalves G, Hamad R, Hayward MD, Komro KA, Krieger N, Lindberg LD, Link BG, Maslowsky J, McGowan A, Karas Montez J, Nelson KM, Osborne C, Liccardo Pacula R, Purtle J, Reynolds M, Roberts SCM, Schmit CD, Swanson JW, Wagenaar AC, Woolf SH, Zenk SN. Policy research at the National Institutes Of Health: An imperative in peril. Health Affairs Forefront. 2026.

     Read At: Custom
  • Published on 8/28/2026

    Gray A, Sinclair S, Trepka MJ, Nelson KM. Anticipated Negative Impact of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization Among Young Adult Black Women in the US. Perspect Sex Reprod Health. 2026 Aug 28. PMID: 42665928.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 8/22/2026

    Korkodilos R, Greene F, Seenivasa S, Haiken S, Ranker LR, Xuan Z, Nelson KM, Gordon AR, Katz-Wise SL. Youth perspectives on sexual fluidity. Cult Health Sex. 2026 Aug 22; 1-12. PMID: 42632937.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 8/17/2026

    Bond JC, Dunsiger SI, Ranker LR, Sauer J, Ybarra M, Nelson KM. Adolescents' perceived difficulty in accessing sexual and reproductive health services before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Sex Health. 2026 Aug 17; 23(4). PMID: 42575525.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 6/1/2026

    Nelson KM, Underhill K, Dunsiger SI, Bond JC, Haiken S, LaBranche C, Austin SB, Ybarra ML. Presence and Knowledge of Minor Consent Laws and STI Testing in US Adolescents. Pediatrics. 2026 Jun 01; 157(6). PMID: 42144241.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 4/20/2026

    Gray A, Sinclair S, Trepka MJ, Nelson KM. Unmet sex education needs among young adult Black women in the United States: A qualitative exploration of perceived informational gaps in school-based sex education. Sex Res Social Policy. 2026 Apr 20. PMID: 42038965.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 4/3/2026

    Brown HL, Underhill K, Gradus JL, Nelson KM. History of Minor Consent Laws for Mental Health Treatment in the US. JAMA Health Forum. 2026 Apr 03; 7(4):e260927. PMID: 42030053.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 3/22/2026

    Nelson KM, Bond JC, Dunsiger SI, Haiken S, Alcid C, Ranker LR, Ybarra ML. Gathering Insights About Sexual Health Promotion From Adolescents' Adoption of COVID-19-Protective Behaviors. Health Educ Behav. 2026 Oct; 53(5):541-550. PMID: 41865297.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 2/24/2026

    Gray A, Sinclair S, Trepka MJ, Nelson KM. Awareness of state-level abortion policy climates among young adult Black women: Examining agreement between state classifications and participant perceptions. Sex Res Social Policy. 2026 Feb 24. PMID: 41822871.

     Read At: PubMed

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