Leah M Grout, PhD, MPH
Fall 1980 - Fall 2120
Associate Professor I
Current Position
Position: Research Data Analyst
Biography
Dr. Grout is an Associate Research Professor and Research Data Analyst at Southern California University of Health Sciences. She holds a PhD in public health from the University of Otago, Wellington in New Zealand and an MPH from Tufts University. She completed her undergraduate work at the University of Vermont. Dr. Grout has almost a decade of research experience across a broad array of public health topics. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and also has extensive public policy experience. Her research has been featured by the BBC and other international news outlets. In 2021, one of her articles was recognized as Wiley Publisher's top cited and top downloaded article, and in 2024, she was honored with the American Public Health Association (APHA) Integrative, Complementary and Traditional Health Practices (ICTHP) Section's Emerging Leadership Award.
Degrees
2020
Ph.D., Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington, New ZealandDissertation: Assessing the potential public health impacts associated with the intensification of dairy farming in New Zealand
2013
MPH, Public Health, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
2011
B.Sc., Environmental Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, United States
Scholarly Contributions and Creative Productions
Conference Proceedings
Completed/Published
Sentell, T.; Dorian, A.; Ylli, A.; Grout, L. M.; Pirkle, C.; Look, M. Culturally and Regionally Relevant Physical Activity Workshop: Building Impactful Global Public Health Promotion Activities for Immigrant and Migrant Communities. In 2nd World Congress on Migration, Ethnicity, Race & Health; 2025.
Krueger, J.; Anderson, B.; MacKenzie, T.; Lurie, J.; Grout, L. M.; Robles, M.; Whedon, J. M. The Influence of Initial Treatment Pattern on Care Escalation Encounters among Medicare Beneficiaries with Neck Pain. In Association of Chiropractic Colleges Research Agenda Conference; 2025.
Robles, M.; Anderson, B.; MacKenzie, T.; Grout, L. M.; Whedon, J. M. Comparative Cost Analysis of Neck Pain Treatments for Medicare Beneficiaries. In Association of Chiropractic Colleges Research Agenda Conference; 2025.
Whedon, J. M.; Anderson, B.; MacKenzie, T.; Grout, L. M.; Moonaz, S.; Lurie, J.; Haldeman, S. For Older Adults with Neck Pain, Initial Care with Spinal Manipulative Therapy Is Associated with Lower Risk of Adverse Outcomes than Primary Medical Physician Care. In Association of Chiropractic Colleges Research Agenda Conference; 2025.
Sentell, T.; Look, M.; Ylli, A.; Pirkle, C.; Heil, D.; Schmid, S.; Grout, L. M. Culturally and Regionally Relevant Physical Activity for Public Health Promotion: Definitions and Evidence Synthesis. In International Congress on Integrative Medicine and Health; 2025.
Dawoud, A.; Blitz, J.; Moonaz, S.; Grout, L. M. Feasibility and Acceptability of Yoga for Adolescents with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. In The International Association of Yoga Therapists’ Symposium on Yoga Research; 2024.
Whedon, J. M.; Anderson, B.; MacKenzie, T.; Grout, L. M.; Lurie, J. The Influence of Initial Treatment Pattern on Care Escalation Encounters among Medicare Beneficiaries with Neck Pain. In American Public Health Association 2024 Annual Meeting; 2024.
Kizhakkeveettil, A.; Grout, L. M. The Use of Complementary and Integrative Health Approaches for Restoration of Health among US Adults and Children in 2022: A Nationally Representative Survey. In American Public Health Association 2024 Annual Meeting; 2024.
Grout, L. M. Use of Complementary and Integrative Health Approaches in Adults with Long COVID: A Nationally Representative Survey. In American Public Health Association 2024 Annual Meeting; 2024.
Anderson, B.; Whedon, J. M.; Moonaz, S.; MacKenzie, T.; Grout, L. M.; Almquist, Z.; Gandila, C. Building Collaborative Research Teams across Institutions: Insights from an R15 Grant Project. In Chiropractic Educators Research Forum Conference; 2024.
Wilson, N.; Grout, L. M.; Summers, J.; Mizdrak, A.; Nghiem, N.; Cleghorn, C. A League Table of Cancer Control Interventions That Spans Primary Prevention to Palliation: QALYs, Impact on Inequalities, Costs and Cost-Effectiveness; International Health Economics Association, 2021.
Wilson, N.; Grout, L. M.; Summers, J.; Nghiem, N.; Baker, M. G. Preliminary Descriptive Comparisons of Health and Economic Impacts of New Zealand’s Elimination Strategy towards the COVID-19 Pandemic; International Health Economics Association, 2021.
Grout, L. M.; French, N.; Baker, M. G.; Hales, S. Zoonotic Diseases, Livestock Densities, Social and Environmental Factors in New Zealand; One Health Aotearoa, 2019.
Grout, L. M.; French, N.; Baker, M. G.; Hales, S. Zoonotic Diseases, Livestock Densities, Social and Environmental Factors in New Zealand. In 31st Annual Conference of the International Society of Environmental Epidemiology; International Society of Environmental Epidemiology, 2019.
Grout, L. M. Dairy Cattle Exposure and Zoonotic Disease in New Zealand. In 4th One Health Aotearoa Symposium; One Health Aotearoa, 2018.
Accepted
Grout, L. M.; Yokooji, E.; Sentell, T.; Public Health Resonance Project Team. Synthesizing Evidence on Heritage Physical Activities Using a Tiered, Culturally Informed, AI-Enhanced Strategy. In 3rd World Congress on Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine; 2025.
Sentell, T.; Grout, L. M.; Pirkle, C.; Ylli, A.; Heil, D.; Schmid, S.; Câmara, S.; Yokooji, E.; Look, M. Culturally and Regionally Relevant Physical Activity for Health Promotion: Traditional Practices for Health Equity. In American Public Health Association 2025 Annual Meeting; 2025.
Journal Article
Completed/Published
Morley, J. F.; Subramanian, I.; Farahnik, J.; Grout, L.; Salcido, C.; Kurtzer, J.; Mischley, L. K. Physical Activity, Patient-Reported Outcomes, and Quality of Life in Parkinson’s Disease. 2025, 8919887251346495.
Summers, J. A.; Kerr, J.; Grout, L.; Kvalsvig, A.; Baker, M. G.; Wilson, N. A Proactive Covid-19 Response Associated with Better Health and Economic Outcomes for OECD High-Income Island Countries. 2025, 31, 101827.
Kizhakkeveettil, A.; Grout, L. M.; Parla, J. Ayurvedic Management of Chronic Low Back Pain: A Case Report. Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health 2025, 14.
Whedon, J. M.; Anderson, B.; Mackenzie, T. A.; Grout, L.; Moonaz, S.; Lurie, J. D.; Haldeman, S. Observational Study of the Safety of Chiropractic vs Medical Care Among Older Adults With Neck Pain. Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics 2025.
Prickett, M.; Hales, S.; Wilson, N.; Kerr, J.; Chambers, T.; Grout, L. M.; Baker, M. Media Discourse on Drinking Water before and after a Major Campylobacteriosis Outbreak in New Zealand. International Journal of Water Resources Development 2025.
Anderson, B. R.; MacKenzie, T. A.; Lurie, J. D.; Grout, L.; Whedon, J. M. Patterns of Initial Treatment and Subsequent Care Escalation among Medicare Beneficiaries with Neck Pain: A Retrospective Cohort Study. 2025, 34, 724–730.
Anderson, B. R.; MacKenzie, T. A.; Grout, L. M.; Whedon, J. M. Comparative Cost Analysis of Neck Pain Treatments for Medicare Beneficiaries. 2025.
Pourzand, F.; Kim, A. H. M.; Chambers, T.; Grout, L.; Baker, M. G.; Hales, S. Examining Campylobacteriosis Disease Notification Rates: Association with Water Supply Characteristics. 2025, 271, 121064.
Grout, L. Use of Complementary and Integrative Health Approaches in Adults with Long COVID in the US, a Nationally Representative Survey. 2025, 31, 143–154.
Dawoud, A.; Blitz, J.; Moonaz, S.; Grout, L. Feasibility and Acceptability of Yoga for Adolescents with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. 2024, 11.
Grout, L.; Hales, S.; Baker, M. G.; French, N.; Wilson, N. Severe Weather Events and Cryptosporidiosis in Aotearoa New Zealand: A Case Series of Space-Time Clusters. 2024, 152, e64.
Grout, L.; Gottfreðsson, M.; Kvalsvig, A.; Baker, M. G.; Wilson, N.; Summers, J. Comparing COVID-19 Pandemic Health Responses in Two High-Income Island Nations: Iceland and New Zealand. 2023, 51, 797–813.
Grout, L.; Chambers, T.; Hales, S.; Prickett, M.; Baker, M. G.; Wilson, N. The Potential Human Health Hazard of Nitrates in Drinking Water: A Media Discourse Analysis in a High-Income Country. 2023, 22, 9.
Grout, L.; Mizdrak, A.; Nghiem, N.; Jones, A. C.; Blakely, T.; Ni Mhurchu, C.; Cleghorn, C. Potential Effect of Real-World Junk Food and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Taxes on Population Health, Health System Costs and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in New Zealand: A Modelling Study. 2022, 5, 19–35.
Grout, L.; Marshall, J.; Hales, S.; Baker, M. G.; French, N. Dairy Cattle Density and Temporal Patterns of Human Campylobacteriosis and Cryptosporidiosis in New Zealand. 2022, 19, 273–289.
Jones, A. C.; Grout, L.; Wilson, N.; Nghiem, N.; Cleghorn, C. The Cost-Effectiveness of a Mass Media Campaign to Promote Smartphone Apps for Weight Loss: Updated Modeling Study. JMIR Formative Research 2022, 6, e29291.
Wilson, N.; Hoek, J.; Nghiem, N.; Summers, J.; Grout, L.; Edwards, R. Modelling the Impacts of Tobacco Denicotinisation on Achieving the Smokefree 2025 Goal in Aotearoa New Zealand. 2022, 135, 65–76.
Grout, L.; Katar, A.; Ait Ouakrim, D.; Summers, J. A.; Kvalsvig, A.; Baker, M. G.; Blakely, T.; Wilson, N. Failures of Quarantine Systems for Preventing COVID-19 Outbreaks in Australia and New Zealand. 2021, 215, 320–324.
Grout, L.; Telfer, K.; Wilson, N.; Cleghorn, C.; Mizdrak, A. Prescribing Smartphone Apps for Physical Activity Promotion in Primary Care: Modeling Study of Health Gain and Cost Savings. 2021, 23, e31702.
Wilson, N.; Gurram, N.; Grout, L.; Thomson, G. A Survey of the Smokefree Status of Pedestrian-Only Spaces in 10 New Zealand Local Government Areas. 2021, 134, 69–80.
Wilson, N.; Summers, J.; Grout, L.; Baker, M. G. Bumper Issue of COVID-19 Pandemic Studies of Relevance to Aotearoa New Zealand. The New Zealand medical journal 2021, 134, 9–17.
Wilson, N.; Grout, L.; Summers, J.; Jones, A. C.; Mizdrak, A.; Nghiem, N.; Cleghorn, C.; Blakely, T. Should Prioritising Health Interventions Be Informed by Modelling Studies? The Case of Cancer Control in Aotearoa New Zealand. 2021, 134, 101–113.
Grout, L.; Baker, M. G.; French, N.; Hales, S. A Review of Potential Public Health Impacts Associated With the Global Dairy Sector. 2020, 4, e2019GH000213.
Grout, L.; Hales, S.; French, N.; Baker, M. G. A Review of Methods for Assessing the Environmental Health Impacts of an Agricultural System. 2018, 15.
Snider, G.; Grout, L.; Ruggles, E. L.; Hondal, R. J. Methaneseleninic Acid Is a Substrate for Truncated Mammalian Thioredoxin Reductase: Implications for the Catalytic Mechanism and Redox Signaling. 2010, 49, 10329–10338.
Other Scholarly Work
Completed/Published
Summers, J.; Kerr, J.; Grout, L. M.; Baker, M.; Wilson, N. Comparing the Covid-19 Response and Major Outcomes in Island Nations. The Briefing 2025.
Baker, M.; Grout, L. M.; Wilson, N. Increasing Campylobacter Epidemic from Chicken Meat Needs a Strong Regulatory Response. The Briefing 2025.
Grout, L. M.; Hales, S.; Baker, M.; French, N.; Prickett, M.; Wilson, N. Severe Events Linked to Outbreaks of Crypto in Aotearoa - New Study. The Briefing 2024.
Poster Presentation
Completed/Published
Hannah, A.; Grout, L. M.; Anderson, B.; Whedon, J. M. Geographic Variability in Initial Provider Consultations for New Neck Pain among Medicare Beneficiaries, 2021. International Congress on Integrative Medicine and Health, 2025.
Grout, L. M.; Pirkle, C.; Schmid, S.; Yokooji, E.; Lee, H. J.; Sentell, T. Climate Change Threatens Participation in Culturally and Regionally Relevant Physical Activity with Health, Wellbeing, and Equity Consequences. International Congress on Integrative Medicine and Health, 2025.
Parr, C.; Grout, L. M.; Vinjamury, S. P. Management of Fatigue and Depression in a Patient with Long COVID - a Retrospective Case Study. Society of Acupuncture Research Conference 2025, 2025.
Kizhakkeveettil, A.; Grout, L. M. The Use of Complementary and Integrative Health Approaches for Restoration of Health among US Adults and Children in 2022: A Nationally Representative Survey. Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine Conference, 2024.
Robles, M.; Anderson, B.; MacKenzie, T.; Grout, L. M.; Krueger, J.; Whedon, J. Comparative Cost Analysis of Neck Pain Treatments for Medicare Beneficiaries. Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine Conference, 2024.
Grout, L. M.; Hales, S.; French, N.; Baker, M. G. Methods for Assessing the Environmental Health Impacts of an Agricultural System: The Case of Dairy Farming in New Zealand. 29th Annual Conference of the International Society of Environmental Epidemiology, 2017.
Accepted
Sentell, T.; Grout, L. M.; Public Health Resonance Project Team. Synthesizing the Global Evidence on Heritage Physical Activity for Health Promotion: A Public Health Resonance Project Protocol. 3rd World Congress on Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine, 2025.
Grout, L. M. Climate Change Threatens Culturally and Regionally Relevant Physical Activities. 18th European Public Health Conference, 2025.
Grout, L. M.; Moonaz, S. Exploring Perspectives on Research and Scholarship at an Integrative Health Sciences University: A Survey Research Study. American Public Health Association 2025 Annual Meeting, 2025.
Honors and Awards
Spring 2021 - Fall 2022
Top Cited Article and Top Downloaded Article, 2022, Wiley Publishing, Paper recognized as a top cited and top downloaded article in Medical Journal of Australia: "Failures of quarantine systems for preventing COVID-19 outbreaks in Australia and New Zealand".
Fall 2024 - Fall 2024
Emerging Leadership Award, 2024, American Public Health Association (APHA), Integrative, Complementary and Traditional Health Practices (ICTHP) Section
Professional Membership
Summer 2024 - Ongoing
American Public Health Association, June 2024, Ongoing, Member of (i) Integrative, Complementary and Traditional Health Section and (ii) Environment Section
Summer 2024 - Summer 2025
Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine, August 2024, August 2025
