Dr. Baumhofer Merritt an Assistant Professor of Indigenous Health Sciences at the University of Hawaiʻi - West Oʻahu. Her current work draws on concepts and theories from medicine, anthropology, sociology, psychology, and public health to reduce Native Hawaiian health disparities within a social justice framework. In this way, her work addresses how social and cultural environments are embodied within individuals and manifest as the unequal distribution of disease between populations. Specifically, she is interested in the prevention of cardiometabolic disease through community interventions that aim to reinforce ʻai pono and address the cultural, historical, and social determinants of disease.
She has been awarded the Harvard University Native American Program’s 1665 Caleb Cheeshateaumuck Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, a Certificate of Distinction in Teaching from the Harvard University Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, and the 2016 Dr. Fang-Ching Sun Memorial Award for Work with Vulnerable Populations from The Chan School of Public Health.
Queenʻs Health System Health Equity Post-Doctoral Fellow
Department of Native Hawaiian Health
University of Hawaiʻi John A. Burns School of Medicine, 2017-2019
Doctorate of Science in Society, Human Development, and Health
Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 2016
Master of Public Health in Health Behavior and Health Education
Department of Health Behavior and Health Education
University of Michigan Ann Arbor, 2012
Master of Arts in Pacific Islands Studies
Center for Pacific Islands Studies
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, 2007
Bachelor of Arts in Ethnic Studies
Department of Ethnic Studies
Mills College, 2004
Assistant Professor of Indigenous Health Sciences, University of Hawaiʻi West Oʻahu in Kapolei, HI
August 2019 to current
Lecturer, University of Hawaiʻi West Oʻahu in Kapolei, HI
January 2019 to July 2019
Assistant Professor of Native Hawaiian Health, John A. Burns School of Medicine in Kaka‘ako, HI
January 2017 to June 2019
Special Appointment Faculty, Adjunct – Acting, Hawaiʻi Pacific University in Honolulu, HI
January 2017 to October 2017
Assistant Researcher, John A. Burns School of Medicine in Kaka‘ako, HI
September 2016 to January 2017
APSC 486J Senior Project in Hawaiian & Indigenous Health & Healing
Division of Mathematics, Natural and Health Sciences
- Assistant Professor – Spring 2021, Spring 2023, Spring 2024
- Associate Professor – Fall 2024, Spring 2025
APSC 490J Senior Practicum in Hawaiian & Indigenous Health & Healing
Division of Mathematics, Natural and Health Sciences
- Assistant Professor – Spring 2024
- Associate Professor – Fall 2024
HLTH 204 Introduction to Native Hawaiian & Indigenous Health & Healing
Division of Public Administration
- Instructor – Spring 2019
Summer Bridge Programs (Ike Ola, ʻAʻaliʻi, Hoakalei)
- Instructor - Summer 2019
- Assistant Professor – Summer 2021
Division of Mathematics, Natural and Health Sciences
- Assistant Professor – Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Summer 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
- Associate Professor – Fall 2024
HLTH 205 Hawaiian Ways of Healing
Division of Mathematics, Natural and Health Sciences
- Assistant Professor – Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024
HLTH 350 Biostatistics
Division of Mathematics, Natural and Health Sciences
- Assistant Professor – Spring 2022, Spring 2024
HLTH 360 Health Disparities and Pacific Peoples
Division of Mathematics, Natural and Health Sciences
- Assistant Professor – Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2023,
- Associate Professor – Fall 2024
HLTH 450 Theories of Wellness and Disease Across Cultures: Hawai‘i and Beyond
Division of Mathematics, Natural and Health Sciences
- Assistant Professor – Spring 2023, Spring 2024
- Associate Professor – Spring 2025
PUBA 307 Community Health Analysis
Division of Public Administration
- Assistant Professor – Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2023
PUBA 334 Intersection of Community & Global Health
Divison of Public Administration
- Assistant Professor – Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024
- Associate Professor – Spring 2025
PUBA 368 Foundations of Community Health
Division of Public Administration
- Assistant Professor – Fall 2023
Yamane, C & Baumhofer-Merritt, NK. (2024). Multilevel Racism, Historical Trauma, Resilience, and Native Hawaiian Health. In Ford, CL & Griffith, DM (Eds.). Racism: Science & Tools for the Public Health Professional, 2nd Ed. Washington D.C., APHA Press.
Mala-Mau, MKM, Baumhofer-Merritt, NK, Werner, K, & Oneha, M. (2022). Engaging Community Health Centers to Understand their Perceptions and Interest in Longitudinal Cohort Research in Native Hawaiian Communities: Initial Insights from the Waimanalo Community. Frontiers in Public Health: Examining Community-Engaged and Participatory Research Programs and Projects. (Epub ahead of print).
Baumhofer, NK, Panapasa, SV, Cook, EF, Roberto, CA, Williams, DR. (2021). Association of island food consumption and cardiovascular risk in the Pacific Islander Health Study. Ethnicity & Health, 26(5): 769-785. PMID: 30458623.
Van Dyke, M, Baumhofer, NK, Williams, DR, Clark, CR, Lewis, TT. (2020). Experience of discrimination and increasing allostatic load score among Midlife in the United States participants. Psychosomatic Medicine, 82(3).
Baumhofer, NK & Yamane, C. (2019). Multilevel Racism and Native Hawaiian Health. In Marino, BA, Ford, CL, Griffith, DM (Eds.) Is it Race or Racism?: State of the Evidence and Tools for the Public Health Professional. Washington DC, APHA Press.
Baumhofer, NK, Panapasa, SV, Cook, EF, Roberto, CA, Williams, DR. (2017). Sociodemographic factors influencing island food consumption in the Pacific Islander Health Study. Ethnicity & Health, 1-18, (Epub ahead of print: https://doi.org/10.1080/13557858.2017.1418300).
Baumhofer, NK, Rothfus, N, Yoshimura, S, Quensell, ML, Look, MA. (Epub 2014 March 14). Developing a Multicultural Nutrition Education Tool: Pacific Island Food Models. Journal of Nutrition Education & Behavior, 46(5), 451-453. PMID: 24637064.
Donovan DM, Daley DC, Brigham GS, Hodgkins CC, Perl HI, Garrett SB, Doyle SR, Floyd AS, Knox PC, Botero C, Kelly TM, Killeen TK, Hayes C, Baumhofer NK, Seamans C, Zammarelli L. (2013). Stimulant abuser groups to engage in 12-step: a multisite trial in the National Institute on Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 44(1):103-14. PMID: 22657748.
Look, MA, Baumhofer NK, Ng-Osorio J, Furubayashi JK, Kimata C. (2008). Diabetes Training of Community Health Workers serving Native Hawaiians and Pacific People. Diabetes Educator, 34(5):834-40. PMID: 18832288.
Mau MK, Sinclair K, Saito EP, Baumhofer NK, Kaholokula JK. (2009) Cardiometabolic Health Disparities in Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders. Epidemiologic Reviews, 31:113-29. PMID: 19531765.
Baumhofer, NK & Yamane, C. (2019). Multilevel Racism and Native Hawaiian Health. In Marino, BA, Ford, CL, Griffith, DM (Eds.) Is it Race or Racism?: State of the Evidence and Tools for the Public Health Professional. Washington DC, APHA Press.
Baumhofer, NK, Panapasa, SV, Cook, EF, Roberto, CA, Williams, DR. (2018). Association of cultural affinity and island foods consumption in the Pacific Islander Health Study. Ethnicity & Health. (Epub ahead of print: https://doi.org/10.1080/13557858.2018.1547815).
Baumhofer, NK, Panapasa, SV, Cook, EF, Roberto, CA, Williams, DR. (2017). Sociodemographic factors influencing island food consumption in the Pacific Islander Health Study. Ethnicity & Health, 1-18, (Epub ahead of print: https://doi.org/10.1080/13557858.2017.1418300).
Baumhofer, NK, Rothfus, N, Yoshimura, S, Quensell, ML, Look, MA. (Epub 2014 March 14). Developing a Multicultural Nutrition Education Tool: Pacific Island Food Models. Journal of Nutrition Education & Behavior, 46(5), 451. PMID: 24637064.
Donovan DM, Daley DC, Brigham GS, Hodgkins CC, Perl HI, Garrett SB, Doyle SR, Floyd AS, Knox PC, Botero C, Kelly TM, Killeen TK, Hayes C, Baumhofer NK, Seamans C, Zammarelli L. (2013). Stimulant abuser groups to engage in 12-step: a multisite trial in the National Institute on Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 44(1):103-14. PMID: 22657748.
Look, MA, Baumhofer NK, Ng-Osorio J, Furubayashi JK, Kimata C. (2008). Diabetes Training of Community Health Workers serving Native Hawaiians and Pacific People. Diabetes Educator, 34(5):834-40. PMID: 18832288.
Mau MK, Sinclair K, Saito EP, Baumhofer NK, Kaholokula JK. (2009) Cardiometabolic Health Disparities in Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders. Epidemiologic Reviews, 31:113-29. PMID: 19531765.
Current Projects
Reintegration Preparation Services, Ka Wehena o Ke ‘Ao, 2024-2025
• Funding mechanism: State of Hawai’i Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, (RFP No.: PSD 23-RCO-36)
• Award amount: $180,000
• Role: Principal Investigator
Research, Logistic, and Strategic Planning Support Services for the Hawai’i Opioid Initiative (HOI), 2024-2026
• Funding mechanism: State of Hawai‘i Department of Health, Ka ‘Oihana Olakino Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division, ASO Log 23-156
• Award amount: $910,000
• Role: Principal Investigator
NHLBI PRIDE (Programs to Increase Diversity among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research) at the University of Arizona, 2017 to 2018
- Competitively-awarded year-long training program for under-represented minority faculty researchers to develop NIH award proposals.
- Supervisor: Douglas Taren, PhD, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Professor, Health Promotion Sciences Department
Queenʻs Health System Health Equity Fellowship, 2017 to 2019
- Awarded to one Native Hawaiian, post-doctoral researcher for a period of two years to build professional capacity to address health disparities among Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders.
- Supervisor: J. Keaweʻaimoku Kaholokula, PhD, Department Chair, Native Hawaiian Health
1665 Caleb Cheeshahteaumuck Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, Harvard University Native American Program, Harvard University, 2015 to 2016
- Awarded $10,000 per year to Harvard University doctoral candidates whose work is related to the indigenous peoples of the Americas and demonstrates scholastic excellence.
Certificate of Distinction in Teaching, Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, Harvard University, 2016
- Awarded to Harvard College Teaching Fellows with student assessments that average at least 4.5 out of 5.0.
Dr. Fang-Ching Sun Memorial Award for work with Vulnerable Populations, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 2016
- Awarded to one graduating Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health student who is nominated by faculty or peers for their outstanding work with vulnerable populations
Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity Training Grant, Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health (NIH #5R25GM055353-11), 2012 to 2014
- Two-year mentored training grant with tuition assistance and living stipend awarded to 15 doctoral students at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health from underrepresented minority groups.
Public Health Education and Health Promotion Section, American Public Health Association
Student Research Award for “Historical and Spatial Relations as Fundamental Determinants of American Indian Infant Mortality in Michigan,” 2012
- Awarded to students for excellence in research projects by the APHA Public Health Education and Health Promotion Section at the annual APHA meeting.
Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity Training Grant, Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health (NIH #5R25GM055353-11), 2012 to 2014
- Two-year mentored training grant with tuition assistance and living stipend awarded to 15 doctoral students at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health from underrepresented minority groups.
Nā Limakuʻi Council - 2019-current
Student Affairs Committee - 2019-current