Carlos Penilla, DrPH
Assistant Professor
Pediatrics
School of Medicine

He holds faculty affiliations in UC Berkeley's Berkeley Center for Social Medicine, and UCSF's Center for Health and Community. His pediatric research examines obesity in families, with a special focus on the role that fathers play in preventing obesity in their children. In addition, Dr. Penilla's translational research work examines the design and development of AI-generated narrative-centered interactive behavioral health interventions in adolescents and young adults to help enhance and ensure representation and responsiveness. His other interests include STEM education, public health policy, and mentoring underrepresented students.

• Introducing Adolescents to the Social Dimensions of AI through Story-Driven Game-Based Learning.
  Artificial intelligence in education : 27th international conference, AIED 2026, Seoul, South Korea, June 27-July 3, 2026, proceedings. Part VI. International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education (27th : 2026 : Seoul, Kore... 2026 Vandenberg J, Mott B, Penilla C, Lester J, Ozer E
• Designing a Narrative-Centered Game to Promote AI Literacy and Health Career Exploration.
  IEEE Conference on Computational Intelligence and Games : [proceedings]. IEEE Conference on Computational Intelligence and Games 2025 Mott B, Vandenberg J, Penilla C, Hennigan S, Navarro R, Lester J, Ozer E
• Engagement of adolescents with ADHD in a narrative-centered game-based behavior change environment to reduce alcohol use.
  Frontiers in education 2024 Pugatch M, Blum NJ, Barbaresi WJ, Rowe J, Berna M, Hennigan S, Giovanelli A, Penilla C, Tebb KP, Mott M, Kumaran V, Buckelew S, Lester JC, Ozer E
• Supporting Adolescent Engagement with Artificial Intelligence-Driven Digital Health Behavior Change Interventions.
  Journal of medical Internet research 2023 Giovanelli A, Rowe J, Taylor M, Berna M, Tebb KP, Penilla C, Pugatch M, Lester J, Ozer EM
• 103. The Preferences and Experiences of Adolescents with ADHD in INSPIRE: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study of Engagement and Parent-teen Communication in a Narrative Game-based Learning Environment for Risky Alcohol Use Prevention.
  Journal of Adolescent Health 2023 Marianne Pugatch, Sean Hennigan, Mark Berna, Megan Mott, Alison Giovanelli, Jonathan Rowe, Carlos Penilla, Kathleen P. Tebb, Elizabeth Ozer
• "What's Important to You, Max?": The Influence of Goals on Engagement in an Interactive Narrative for Adolescent Health Behavior Change.
  Interactive storytelling : 14th International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling, ICIDS 2021, Tallinn, Estonia, December 7-10, 2021, Proceedings. Joint International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling (14th : 202... 2021 Mott M, Mott B, Rowe J, Ozer E, Giovanelli A, Berna M, Pugatch M, Tebb K, Penilla C, Lester J
• “What’s Important to You, Max?”: The Influence of Goals on Engagement in an Interactive Narrative for Adolescent Health Behavior Change.
  2021 Megan Mott, Bradford Mott, Jonathan Rowe, Elizabeth Ozer, Alison Giovanelli, Mark Berna, Marianne Pugatch, Kathleen Tebb, Carlos Penilla, James Lester
• Leveraging Game-Based Learning Technologies to Introduce Adolescents to Health Science Careers During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
  The Journal of STEM Outreach 2021 Randall Spain, Carlos Penilla, Elizabeth Ozer, Robert Taylor, Cathy Ringstaff, James Lester
• Leveraging Game-Based Learning Technologies to Introduce Adolescents to Health Science Careers During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
  Journal of STEM outreach 2021 Spain R, Penilla C, Ozer E, Taylor R, Ringstaff C, Lester J
• Fostering Engagement in Health Behavior Change: Iterative Development of an Interactive Narrative Environment to Enhance Adolescent Preventive Health Services.
  The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2020 Ozer EM, Rowe J, Tebb KP, Berna M, Penilla C, Giovanelli A, Jasik C, Lester JC
• 258. Adolescent Engagement in a Narrative-Centered Behavior Change System for Preventive Health: Differences by Sex and Alcohol Use.
  Journal of Adolescent Health 2020 Alison Giovanelli, Mark Berna, Jonathan Rowe, Kathleen Tebb, Carlos Penilla, James Lester, Elizabeth M. Ozer
• 116. Engaging Adolescents In A Self-Adaptive Personalized Behavior Change System For Adolescent Preventive Healthcare.
  Journal of Adolescent Health 2019 Elizabeth M. Ozer, Jonathan P. Rowe, Kathleen P. Tebb, Mark S. Berna, Carolyn Bradner Jasik, Carlos Penilla, Alison S. Giovanelli, Max Ozer-Staton, Averie Lee Kellenberger, James C. Lester
• 262. Health Quest: Promoting Adolescents’ Health Science Career Interests Through Technology-Rich Learning Experiences.
  Journal of Adolescent Health 2019 Elizabeth M. Ozer, Carlos Penilla, Randall D. Spain, Bradford W. Mott, Donald Woodson, James C. Lester
• Temporal associations between circadian sleep and activity patterns in Mexican American children.
  Sleep health 2018 Martinez SM, Tschann JM, McCulloch CE, Sites E, Butte NF, Gregorich SE, Penilla C, Flores E, Pasch LA, Greenspan LC, Deardorff J
• Sleep duration in Mexican American children: Do mothers' and fathers' parenting and family practices play a role?
  Journal of sleep research 2018 Martinez SM, Tschann JM, Butte NF, Gregorich SE, Penilla C, Flores E, Pasch LA, Greenspan LC, Deardorff J
• Obstacles to preventing obesity in children aged 2 to 5 years: Latino mothers' and fathers' experiences and perceptions of their urban environments.
  The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity 2017 Penilla C, Tschann JM, Sanchez-Vaznaugh EV, Flores E, Ozer EJ
• Fathers' feeding practices and children's weight status in Mexican American families.
  Appetite 2017 Penilla C, Tschann JM, Deardorff J, Flores E, Pasch LA, Butte NF, Gregorich SE, Greenspan LC, Martinez SM, Ozer E
• Short Sleep Duration Is Associated With Eating More Carbohydrates and Less Dietary Fat in Mexican American Children.
  Sleep 2017 Martinez SM, Tschann JM, Butte NF, Gregorich SE, Penilla C, Flores E, Greenspan LC, Pasch LA, Deardorff J
• Pediatric Behavioral Nutrition Factors.
  Pediatric Behavioral Nutrition Factors 2017 Jeanne M. Tschann, Suzanna M. Martinez, Carlos Penilla, Steven E. Gregorich, Lauri A. Pasch, Cynthia L. De Groat, Elena Flores, Julianna Deardorff, Louise C. Greenspan, Nancy F. Butte
• Preferred Child Body Size and Parental Underestimation of Child Weight in Mexican-American Families.
  Maternal and child health journal 2016 Pasch LA, Penilla C, Tschann JM, Martinez SM, Deardorff J, de Groat CL, Gregorich SE, Flores E, Butte NF, Greenspan LC
• Parental feeding practices and child weight status in Mexican American families: a longitudinal analysis.
  The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity 2015 Tschann JM, Martinez SM, Penilla C, Gregorich SE, Pasch LA, de Groat CL, Flores E, Deardorff J, Greenspan LC, Butte NF
• Is it time for bed? Short sleep duration increases risk of obesity in Mexican American children.
  Sleep medicine 2014 Martinez SM, Tschann JM, Greenspan LC, Deardorff J, Penilla C, Flores E, Pasch LA, Gregorich SE, Butte NF
• Longitudinal effects of parental, child and neighborhood factors on moderate-vigorous physical activity and sedentary time in Latino children.
  The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity 2014 Butte NF, Gregorich SE, Tschann JM, Penilla C, Pasch LA, De Groat CL, Flores E, Deardorff J, Greenspan LC, Martinez SM
• Mother-reported sleep, accelerometer-estimated sleep and weight status in Mexican American children: sleep duration is associated with increased adiposity and risk for overweight/obese status.
  Journal of sleep research 2013 Martinez SM, Greenspan LC, Butte NF, Gregorich SE, De Groat CL, Deardorff J, Penilla C, Pasch LA, Flores E, Tschann JM
• Parental feeding practices in Mexican American families: initial test of an expanded measure.
  The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity 2013 Tschann JM, Gregorich SE, Penilla C, Pasch LA, de Groat CL, Flores E, Deardorff J, Greenspan LC, Butte NF
• Association of beverage consumption with obesity in Mexican American children.
  Public health nutrition 2013 Beck AL, Tschann J, Butte NF, Penilla C, Greenspan LC
• Positive affect and mood management in successful smoking cessation.
  American journal of health behavior 2010 Bränström R, Penilla C, Pérez-Stable EJ, Muñoz RF
• International Spanish/English Internet smoking cessation trial yields 20% abstinence rates at 1 year.
  Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco 2009 Muñoz RF, Barrera AZ, Delucchi K, Penilla C, Torres LD, Pérez-Stable EJ
• Quitting smoking does not increase the risk of major depressive episodes among users of Internet smoking cessation interventions.
  Psychological medicine 2009 Torres LD, Barrera AZ, Delucchi K, Penilla C, Pérez-Stable EJ, Muñoz RF
• Acculturation, parent-adolescent conflict, and adolescent adjustment in Mexican American families.
  Family process 2006 Pasch LA, Deardorff J, Tschann JM, Flores E, Penilla C, Pantoja P
• Toward evidence-based Internet interventions: A Spanish/English Web site for international smoking cessation trials.
  Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco 2006 Muñoz RF, Lenert LL, Delucchi K, Stoddard J, Perez JE, Penilla C, Pérez-Stable EJ
• Expanding depression prevention research with children of diverse cultures.
  Prevention & Treatment 2002 Ricardo F. Muñoz, Carlos Penilla, Guido Urizar
• Fatty acid and carbohydrate storage in the annual reproductive cyclice of Echinaster.
  Comparative biochemistry and physiology. A, Comparative physiology 1975 Ferguson JC
• Digitoxin metabolism by rat liver microsomes.
  Biochemical pharmacology 1975 Schmoldt A, Benthe HF, Haberland G