Steven Kelder
Professor Non-Tenure Instruction
512/391-2511
University of Texas Administration Building
1836 San Jacinto Blvd, Austin, TX 78701-1404
About
Dr. Steve Kelder is Professor of Epidemiology at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. His career focuses on developing, evaluating, and disseminating evidence-based programs that improve children’s health and prevent chronic disease. His work integrates behavioral science, epidemiology, and community-based approaches to address leading health concerns among youth, including obesity, tobacco and e-cigarette use, oral health, and traffic safety. Dr. Kelder is a founding board member of the CATCH Global Foundation (CGF), a nonprofit organization that disseminates programs and policies to improve child health. Founding partners of CGF include the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, UTHealth Houston, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and the RGK Foundation. Through this collaboration, Dr. Kelder has helped bring high-quality school health programs—such as CATCH, CATCH My Breath, and CATCH Healthy Smiles—to schools across the United States and internationally. In 2016, he led the development of CATCH My Breath, the first evidence-informed e-cigarette prevention program for youth. The program has now been implemented in all 50 U.S. states and continues to expand globally. He also contributed to CATCH Healthy Smiles, a coordinated school health program designed to prevent tooth decay and promote oral health among elementary students. Dr. Kelder is also co-founder of the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, located at the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in Austin. The Center’s mission— “Healthy Children in a Healthy World”—guides its research and community engagement activities, translating scientific findings into actionable programs for parents, schools, and communities. He has competed for over 70 funded research projects and authored or co-authored over 200 peer-reviewed publications and multiple book chapters on youth health behavior, behavioral epidemiology, and implementation science.
Center Affiliation
Research Interests
- Adolescent Health
- Aging / Gerontology
- Cancer
- Cardiovascular Disease
- Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease
- Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders
- Epidemiology
- Implementation Science
- Injury and Violence
- Maternal and Child Health
- Nutrition
- Physical Activity
- Population Health
- Prevention and Wellness
- Program Evaluation
- Substance Use