Priyanka Ravi

Priyanka Ravi

  • Assistant Professor, Education, Health & Behavior

Contact Info

Office Address

Education, Health & Behavior
Education Building
231 Centennial Drive Stop 7189
Grand Forks, ND 58202-7189

Curriculum Vitae

Websites

Biography

Priyanka Ravi, MDS, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Public Health Education in the Department of Education, Health, and Behavior Studies at the College of Education & Human Development, University of North Dakota. She is a dentist-scientist with interdisciplinary training in health behavior, health promotion, and public health dentistry. She earned her Ph.D. in Health Behavior and Health Promotion from the University of Arizona and holds both a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) and Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) in Public Health Dentistry from India.

Dr. Ravi’s research centers on cancer prevention, with a particular focus on tobacco control, HPV vaccination, and cancer screening. Her work examines how behavioral, social, and product-level factors influence cancer risk and prevention behaviors, especially among underserved and high-risk populations. She has conducted research on occupational and environmental exposures among women tobacco farmers and beedi workers in India, highlighting pathways that contribute to long-term health risks, including cancer. Her research also explores strategies to improve HPV vaccine uptake, enhance cancer screening behaviors, and address misinformation through community-engaged and culturally responsive interventions.

Her work is global in scope, with active and emerging collaborations in Brazil, India, Nigeria, and Kenya. Across these settings, Dr. Ravi applies community-based participatory research and mixed-methods approaches including photovoice to understand local contexts, identify barriers to prevention, and co-develop sustainable health education strategies. Her research aims to generate evidence that informs equitable, scalable interventions and policies to reduce the global burden of cancer.

In addition to her research, Dr. Ravi is deeply committed to teaching and mentorship. She prepares the next generation of public health professionals through engaging, practice-oriented instruction and hands-on training in evidence-based health education and health promotion. Her goal is to equip students with the skills needed to address complex public health challenges and advance health equity in diverse communities.

PHE 102 Introduction to Epidemiology

PHE 103 Introduction to Global Health

PHE 240 Personal Wellness

PHE 304 Health Program Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation

Cancer prevention (Cancer screening and HPV vaccinations)

Global tobacco control

Global health (Brazil, India, Kenya, Nigeria)

Oral health promotion (Dental care access, and prevention of oral diseases)

Women's health (Menstrual justice, pregnancy and birth outcomes)

Occupational and environmental health (Exposure to pesticides and toxic heavy metals)

Geriatric health

Public health education

Doctor of Philosophy in Health Behavior and Health Promotion. Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ; 2025.

Global Tobacco Control Certificate Program. Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD; 2020.

Master of Dental Surgery in Public Health Dentistry. Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Mangalore, India; 2016.

Bachelor of Dental Surgery. Adhiparasakthi Dental College and Hospital, The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University, India; 2011.

Sample Publications:

  1. Macharia P, Block Ngaybe MG, Ravi P, Moraa H, Hamzazai W, Moikobu B, et al. Perspectives of adolescents and young people on Digital Health Interventions and their impact on health knowledge. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2026; 6(4): e0005611. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0005611
  2. Lowe AA, Ravi P, Hudson B, Begay E, Tso B, Liu AH, Bender BG, Gerald LB, King DK. Using document analysis methods and implementation science frameworks to conduct a process evaluation of the community asthma program on the Navajo Nation. Transl Behav Med. 2025;15(1):ibaf056. doi: 10.1093/tbm/ibaf056.
  3. Hariprasad R, Srinivasan M, Ravi P, Tamang H, Sharma A, Pradhan S, Dhanasekaran K. A qualitative study on ASHA workers' perspective on HPV self-sampling in Sikkim India. Sci Rep. 2025 May 8;15(1):15985. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-87041-4.
  4. Ravi P, Muralidhar K, Madhivanan P, Wilson AM, von Hippel FA, Salamova A, Moya E, Gerald LB. Occupational exposures among women beedi workers in Mysore District, India: A mixed-methods study protocol. PLoS One. 2024 Apr 4;19(4):e0297638. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297638.
  5. Ravi P, Muralidhar K, Ngaybe MGB, Nanjaiah S, Jayakrishna P, Lowe AA, Krupp K, Wilson AM, von Hippel FA, Chen Z, Gerald LB, Madhivanan P. Qualitative Study to Explore the Occupational and Reproductive Health Challenges among Women Tobacco Farm Laborers in Mysore District, India. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 May 9;21(5):606. doi: 10.3390/ijerph21050606. 
  6. Ravi P, Aggarwal D, Purohit BM, Bhadauria US, Priya H. Qualitative Analysis of Opinions and Beliefs Associated with the Use of Tobacco Dentifrice among Individuals Attending a Tobacco Counselling Session. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2023 Dec 1;24(12):4293-4300. doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2023.24.12.4293. 
  7. Nethan ST, John A, Ravi P, Dhanasekaran K, Babu R, Hariprasad R. Advanced virtual mentoring of dentists in oral cancer screening and tobacco cessation - An interventional study. Indian J Dent Res. 2022 Jul-Sep;33(3):241-246. doi: 10.4103/ijdr.ijdr_8_21. 
  8. Ravi P, Kaur H, Kharbanda OP, Priya H, Sood A, Mishra D. Effects of E-cigarette on Oral Health –A Systematic Scoping Review. Journal of Pierre Fauchard Academy (India Section), Vol 36(2), DOI: 10.18311/jpfa/2022/31264, June 2022 p. 57-66
  9. Agarwal D, Purohit B, Ravi P, Priya H, Kumar V. Effectiveness of topical fluorides in prevention of radiation caries in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Oral Oncology. 2022 Jun 1;129:105869.
  10. Agarwal D, Ravi P, Purohit B, Priya H. The effect of energy and fat content labeling on food consumption pattern: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutr Rev. 2022 Feb 10;80(3):453-466. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuab035. 
  11. Ravi P, Ivaturi A, Das D, Bhadauria US, Khurana C, Dev M, Priya H. Evaluation of Perceptions of Tobacco Cessation among the Individuals Attending a Tertiary Care Dental Hospital - A Mixed Methods Design. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2021 Sep 1;22(9):2749-2755. doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2021.22.9.2749. 
  12. Ravi P, Rao A, Rajesh G, Shenoy R, Pai BM. Relationship between geriatric oral health assessment index (GOHAI) and oral health status of the institutionalized elderly in Mangalore, India. Journal of Public Health Research and Development. 2019; 10 (4). pp. 146-151. ISSN 09760245
  13. Mehrotra R, Nethan ST, Ravi P, Grover S, Sharma S, Rath GK, Kaur J, Ralhan R, Srivastava A. A revisit at 16 years for individuals from peri-urban New Delhi for tobacco use and associated oral lesions. Translational Research in Oral Oncology. 2019; 4:1–9. https://doi-org.ezproxy1.library.arizona.edu/10.1177/2057178X18818661
  14. Ravi P, Rao A, Rajesh G, Shenoy R and Pai BM. Compliance with Statutory Tobacco Guidelines in and around Schools in Mangaluru, India: An Observational Study. World J Dent. 2017;8(1):10-13.
  15. Ravi P, Rao A, Rajesh G, Shenoy R, Pai BM. Work-Associated Stress and Nicotine Dependence among Law Enforcement Personnel in Mangalore, India. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2016;17(2):829-33

Recent Presentations:

Invited Lectures

  1. Ravi P. Invited virtual lecture: Oral Health for All Ages: A Life Course Approach. Department of Public Health Dentistry, Faculty of Dental Sciences, SGT University; April 13, 2026; Gurugram, Haryana, India.
  2. Ravi P. Invited virtual lecture: Occupational health and exposures among women tobacco farmers and tobacco workers in Mysore, India. Public Health Research Institute of India; June 3, 2025; Mysore, India.
  3. Ravi P. Invited virtual lecture: Fashionably Fatal: Unmasking the Glamour, Style, and Flavors of Tobacco Marketing. Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education; May 31, 2025; Mangalore, India.

Conference Presentations

  1. Ravi P. Occupational exposure to pesticides and toxic metals among women beedi workers in Mysore, India. Presented at: Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network Annual Meeting; March 1–3, 2026; Chapel Hill, NC.
  2. Ravi P. Photovoice in tobacco control research – A systematic review. Presented at: International Cancer Education Conference; October 7–10, 2025; Memphis, TN.
  3. Ravi P. Occupational exposures among women beedi workers in Mysore District, India: A mixed-methods study. Presented at: SCERC Research Symposium, UCLA; April 4, 2025; Los Angeles, CA.
  4. Ravi P. Life around women tobacco (beedi) workers. Presented at: Consortium of Universities for Global Health Conference; February 20–23, 2025; Atlanta, GA.
  5. Ravi P. Process evaluation of the Community Asthma Program on the Navajo Nation using the RE-AIM framework. Presented at: Midwest Clinical & Translational Research Meeting; April 24–25, 2023; Chicago, IL.
  6. Ravi P. Occupational health exposures among beedi workers, Mysore, India: Mixed methods study protocol. Presented at: International Society of Exposure Sciences (Virtual); April 12, 2023.
  7. Ravi P. Mass media influence on the risk perception of tobacco-induced diseases among Indian adults. Presented at: World Cancer Congress; October 18–20, 2022; Geneva, Switzerland.

  1. CEHD Summer Grant Writing Award. Measuring Maternal Occupational Tobacco Exposure and Child Growth Outcomes Among Beedi Worker Families in Mysore, India. University of North Dakota; April, 2026.
  2. American Federation for Medical Research (AFMR) Henry Christian Award for outstanding abstract. Process Evaluation of the Community Asthma Program on the Navajo Nation Using the RE-AIM Framework. Midwest Clinical & Translational Research Meeting, Chicago, IL; April 24, 2023.
  3. Third Prize, Poster Presentation. From Isolation to Vaccination: School Health Staff Pandemic Experiences in Pima County, Arizona. Public Health Poster Forum, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ; April 1, 2022.
  4. Third Prize, Poster Presentation. Internet Sale of Smokeless Tobacco (SLT) Products and Priorities in Smokeless Tobacco (SLT) Control: Research and Training Needs. ICMR-NICPR, India; November 27–28, 2017.
  5. Publication and Research Award Incentive for Students. Manipal Academy of Higher Education, India; 2017.
  6. Dissertation Completion Award. Manipal Academy of Higher Education, India; 2017.

Assistant Professor in Public Health Education. Department of Education, Health, & Behavior Studies, College of Education & Human Development, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND; August 2025–present.

One Health Research Fellow and Graduate Research Associate. Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ; July 2024–July 2025.

Graduate Research Associate. Asthma & Airway Disease Research Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ; August 2021–June 2024.

Senior Resident. Division of Public Health Dentistry, Centre for Dental Education and Research, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India; August 2018–August 2021.

Scientist B. Division of Clinical Oncology, ICMR–National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research, Noida, India; January 2017–August 2018.

Senior Lecturer. Department of Public Health Dentistry, Adhiparashakthi Dental College and Hospital, India; October 2016–January 2017.

Extramural Funding

Extramural Funding Applied

  • $230,000. NIH R03 Tobacco Regulatory Science Small Grant Program for New Investigators (R03 Clinical Trial Optional). 2026–2028. Role: PI (under review; Application ID: 1R03DA066756-01). Awarded by the NIH & FDA Center for Tobacco Products.
  • $10,000. Beyond Survival: Exploring Breast Cancer Equity and Survivorship in Brazil. 2026-2027. Role: Co-PI (under review). Research, Education, Advocacy, and Direct Service (READS Grants Program). Awarded by the American Association for Cancer Education.

Extramural Funding Completed 

  • $10,000. SCERC Pilot Project Research Training Grant. 2022–2024. Role: PI. Awarded by the Southern California NIOSH Education and Research Center (SCERC), University of California, Los Angeles (Grant No. T42 OH008412, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

Intramural Funding

Intramural Funding Recieved

  • $5,000. CEHD Summer Grant Writing Award. 2026-2027. Measuring maternal occupational tobacco exposure and child growth outcomes among beedi worker families in Mysore, India. College of Education & Human Development, University of North Dakota.
  • $5,000. UND Research Seed Funding (Start-Up Funds). 2025–2027. College of Education & Human Development, University of North Dakota.

Intramural Funding Completed 

  • $50,000. One Health Graduate Research Fellowship. 2024–2025. One Health Research Initiative, University of Arizona.
  • $5,000. Carson Scholars Program. 2024–2025. Arizona Institute for Resilience, University of Arizona.
  • $3,500. One Health Internship Grant. 2023. One Health Research Initiative, University of Arizona.
  • $3,350. Dean’s Student Research Fund for Doctoral Dissertation. 2023. Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona.
  • $3,750. Global Health Institute Scholars Program. 2022. Global Health Institute, University of Arizona.
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