Departmental Affiliations
Center & Institute Affiliations
Shelley Walton, MPH, RD, is a nutritionist and maternal and child health specialist focusing on improved nutrition and food security implementation in vulnerable populations.
Contact Info
Research Interests
Program domains & thematic areas
international nutrition program (development & delivery); nutrition in emergencies; humanitarian assistance; maternal, newborn & child health (MNCH); infant & young child feeding (IYCF); malnutrition; nutrition-specific programming; nutrition-sensitive programming; social & behavior change (SBC); adolescent nutrition; school feeding; non-communicable diseases (NCDs); diabetes; health communication; knowledge translation; evidence-based decision making; capacity building; mentorship; training; food assistance programming; ration design; packaging; supply chain logistics; in-kind rations; cash transfers; vouchers; CVA; specialized nutritious foods (SNF); basket design; transfer value/adequacy; market/vendor systems; last-mile delivery; leakage/fraud risk; local procurement
Methods & approaches
formative research; operations research; implementation research; implementation science; design research; human-centered design; trials of improved practices (TIPs); behavioral trials; qualitative & ethnographic methods; key-informant interviews; focus groups; survey methods; cognitive interviewing; freelisting; pile sorts; program evaluation; monitoring & evaluation; rapid scoping/systematic reviews; mixed-methods
Populations
pregnant & lactating women (PLW); women of reproductive age (WRA); children 6–59 months; adolescents; refugees; IDPs; host communities; people living with diabetes (PLWD)
Geographies
Somalia; Ethiopia; Bangladesh; India; Pakistan; Sierra Leone; Burkina Faso; Malawi; Niger; Mali
Experiences & Accomplishments
Shelley Walton is a Senior Research Associate at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHBSPH), where she holds appointments in the Department of International Health, the Center for Human Nutrition, the Institute for International Programs, and the Center for Humanitarian Health. A registered dietitian by training, Shelley began her career with a strong foundation in clinical and community nutrition before earning her Master of Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree at JHBSPH, specializing in implementation science in nutrition.
Shelley brings over 15 years of research and technical experience in humanitarian and development contexts across Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Her work focuses on generating and applying evidence to improve nutrition and health outcomes for vulnerable populations, particularly in low-resource and crisis-affected settings. Her research interests include maternal and child nutrition, infant and young child feeding, wasting and stunting, nutrition and non-communicable diseases, food security, and the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of food assistance programs, including cash, vouchers, and in-kind modalities.
In her current role, Shelley partners with a wide range of stakeholders, including international NGOs, U.S. government agencies, UN bodies, Ministries of Health, bilateral and multilateral donors, foundations, academic institutions, and the private sector. She is known for building strong collaborative networks and leading multidisciplinary teams to design and implement rigorous, policy-relevant research. She uses mixed methods approaches, with a focus on implementation science, evaluation, and measurement to address complex nutrition and health challenges.
Shelley’s work is grounded in a commitment to equity and impact. Whether supporting government-led initiatives or donor-funded innovations, she strives to ensure that research translates into meaningful action for the populations who need it most.