Rate My Professor Hala Madinat

Hala Madanat serves as Vice President for Research and Innovation and Albert W. Johnson Distinguished Professor of Public Health in the School of Public Health at San Diego State University (SDSU). She holds a Bachelor of Science in biological sciences from the University of Jordan (2000), a Master of Science in community health sciences (2001), and a Ph.D. in sociology with a minor in public health (2006) from Brigham Young University, where she received the Outstanding Alumni Award in 2018. Madanat joined SDSU in 2008 as a Distinguished Professor in Health Promotion and Behavioral Science, progressed to direct the School of Public Health, served as chief research officer overseeing the San Diego State Research Foundation, and was appointed Vice President for Research and Innovation effective August 2022. Prior faculty roles include positions at Utah Valley University and Brigham Young University. She currently holds board positions with the San Diego Economic Development Corporation, Downtown San Diego Partnership, Connect San Diego, and Biocom California, and serves as a core investigator for the Institute for Behavioral and Community Health.

Her research specializations encompass health disparities, obesity prevention, intuitive eating, tobacco prevention and policy, the impact of westernization on diet and nutrition, medical sociology, health education, and the influence of culture, traditions, and westernization on health globally, with emphasis on the Middle East. As principal investigator, co-principal investigator, or co-investigator, she has managed 17 grants totaling over $45 million, including the $12 million National Cancer Institute-funded SDSU/UCSD Cancer Center Partnership and a $5.5 million partnership with San Diego County for COVID-19 support in underserved communities. Her leadership propelled SDSU's research funding to a record $164.5 million in 2022. Madanat has nearly 90 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and books, co-authoring Introduction to Health Promotion and Behavioral Science in Public Health. Prominent works include "The Intuitive Eating Scale: development and preliminary validation" (2004, 156 citations), "The relationship between intuitive eating and health indicators among college women" (2005, 166 citations), and "Breast cancer risk-factor and screening awareness among women nurses and teachers in Amman, Jordan" (2002, 135 citations). Her obesity and nutrition research has influenced U.S. Congressional health policies. Honors include SDSU's Albert W. Johnson Distinguished Research Lecturer (2020), Outstanding Contributions Award (2021), and the Wang Family Excellence Award, the CSU system's highest faculty honor (2021).