Rate My Professor Rachel Blaine

Dr. Rachel Blaine is an Associate Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences within the College of Health and Human Services at California State University, Long Beach. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Clinical Nutrition from the University of California, Davis, a Master of Public Health in Community Health Sciences from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Doctor of Science in Public Health Nutrition from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Dr. Blaine served as a doctoral researcher in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard University from 2010 to 2015 before joining CSULB in 2015 as an Assistant Professor. She was promoted to Associate Professor and currently directs the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) and the Master of Science Program in Nutritional Science. Dr. Blaine also serves as a faculty mentor and advisor for undergraduate students in Nutrition and Dietetics.

Dr. Blaine's research specializations include pediatric nutrition, child feeding practices, food parenting, childhood obesity prevention, and nutrition-related care for neurodiverse children, with a particular emphasis on autism spectrum disorders. She has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, with key works such as 'Food parenting and child snacking: a systematic review' (International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 2017), 'Priorities, barriers, and facilitators for nutrition-related care for autistic children: a qualitative study comparing interdisciplinary health professional and parent perspectives' (Frontiers in Pediatrics, 2023), 'Reasons Low-Income Parents Offer Snacks to Children: How Feeding Rationale Influences Snack Frequency and Adherence to Dietary Recommendations' (Nutrients, 2015), 'Shaping healthy habits in children with neurodevelopmental and mental health disorders: parent perceptions of barriers, facilitators and promising strategies' (International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2019), and 'Using School Staff Members to Implement a Childhood Obesity Prevention Intervention in Low-Income School Districts: the Massachusetts Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration (MA-CORD Project), 2012–2014' (Preventing Chronic Disease, 2017). Her contributions have earned her the Outstanding Dietetic Educator Award from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (2021), the Early Academic Career Excellence Award from CSULB (2019), and recognition through University Achievement Awards. In 2023, she received a $70,000 grant from the U.S. State Department's Higher Education Program to develop Iraq's first nutrition and dietetics training program at Hawler Medical University, facilitating faculty exchanges and curriculum development.