2026 FERN fellows

Last week marked the end of the Global Food Research Program’s fourth year hosting the Fellowship for Exploring Research in Nutrition (FERN), a 9-week internship for undergraduate students interested in food policy research. Over the course of the summer, this year’s fellows built foundational research skills, attended professional development workshops, assisted on research projects, and learned about current topics and methods in nutrition policy research. In addition to individual research projects completed with their PhD student mentors, the fellows collaborated on a group project to identify the prevalence of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in Texas and North Carolina K–12 school districts using data from  Freedom of Information Act requests.

The whole GFRP team thanks Adedasola, Clara, Veronica for their hard work and contributions this summer, and we wish them all the best in their future endeavors! Read more about the 2026 FERN fellows and their summer experiences below:

Adedasola Obatola

Rising senior at Wake Forest University

Major: Health and Exercise Science with minors in Biology and Studio Art 

Summer research project: During my FERN internship, I had the pleasure of working with Carmen Prestemon on several projects focused on nutrition policy.  I worked on two literature reviews. The first review investigated how influential industry public comments are when revising any proposed rule and the second review focused on finding common themes of industry arguments in response to the FDA’s front-of-package labeling proposal. I also evaluated the use of artificial intelligence and other computational tools in research methodologies. Additionally, I had the pleasure of working with Carolyn Chelius on a project applying a standardized codebook to analyze 924 public comments and identifying key themes related to health misperceptions associated with the “sea salt” marketing claim. 

Most interesting thing you learned this summer: The most interesting thing I learned this summer was the use of public comments on proposed government rules. I never knew federal organizations such as the FDA would open public comment periods where industry, organizations, or civilians could oppose or support the proposed rule. It was interesting to see whether any suggested feedback was implemented in the final rule or if it was merely speculation.

Favorite FERN workshops: Our informational interview with Kirsten Deuman embodied where I see myself career-wise and gave me the clarification that I needed when deciding if I wanted to pursue a master’s of public health or obtain a master’s and a registered dietitian credential at the same time. The resume and networking workshop with Carolyn gave me the tools and skills necessary to sharpen my resume and eased my anxiety when it came to confidently networking, whether in person or via email. All the journal clubs were very informative but also challenging, allowing me to see the areas I needed to work on when trying to understand an academic research paper effectively. 

Future goals: My future goals include obtaining my master’s of public health with a concentration in global health or food systems and sitting for the dietetic exam to become a registered dietitian. I hope to use my interest in and love for photography to capture the food climate both in the United States and globally. I also hope to use my background in health and exercise science and secondary education in public health to dismantle the socioeconomic and environmental racism that continues to trap communities of color in cycles of chronic illness. I want to ultimately give my community the tools they need to reclaim what being healthy means to them. 

Random fact about you: Mangoes are my favorite fruit. 

Veronica Osorio

Rising senior at Meredith College

Major: Double major in Food and Nutrition and Professional Spanish with a minor in Biology.

FERN research project (faculty project you worked on): This summer, I had the opportunity to work with Carlos Soto-Díaz on a research project examining prebiotic sodas in the U.S. food environment. The project investigates the nutritional profile of these products, the nutrition claims they make, and how consumers perceive and respond to those claims. My role included identifying prebiotic sodas currently available in the U.S. market, coding product packaging and marketing claims using REDCap, and documenting how companies promote benefits such as gut health, digestive health, immunity, and overall wellness. I also assisted with the consumer research portion of the project by helping conduct qualitative interviews, taking detailed notes during interview sessions, and using Qualtrics to support participant surveys. This experience gave me valuable insight into how food marketing can shape consumer perceptions and influence purchasing decisions.

Most surprising thing you learned this summer: The most surprising thing I learned was how powerful food marketing can be. Before this internship, I never realized how companies can make products seem much healthier through carefully worded health and nutrition claims, even when the overall nutritional quality may not fully support those messages. It completely changed the way I evaluate food packaging and nutrition marketing.

Favorite FERN workshop: My favorite workshop was the resume and networking workshop with Carolyn. It gave me practical strategies for presenting my experiences with confidence, strengthening my resume, and building meaningful professional connections. It was especially helpful as I plan to apply to graduate school and continue exploring career opportunities in nutrition and public health.

Future goals: After graduating from Meredith College, I plan to attend UNC-Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health and pursue a master’s degree in public health in nutrition and become a registered dietitian.

Random fact about you: I love practicing yoga, and one of my goals is to become a certified yoga instructor!

Clara Duarte

Graduated May 2026 from Lees-McRae College

Major: Nutrition Science

FERN research project: I worked with Maria Fernanda Parra-Murillo, supporting her project on warning labels and celebrities’ presence on packaged products affecting children’s perception and intention of purchasing ultra-processed foods in Bogota. I conducted a literature review, drafted manuscripts, analyzed data in Stata, and performed quality assurance in Qualtrics. I also helped with a qualitative study on health policies in Colombia, revising documents for correct information and reference management. I was able to get hands-on experience on most aspects of being a researcher, and Maria gave me a lot of guidance with my writing, data coding and analysis, and familiarity with journal publishing.

Most exciting thing you learned this summer: Learning not to be afraid to reach out to someone to network was very valuable. I set up calls and obtained responses from people who were further in their careers, super willing to answer questions, and talk about their path.

Favorite FERN workshops: The panels with doctoral and master’s of public health students were nice because we learned the reality of pursuing further education and listening to the different possibilities that can happen along the way. This helped me understand my next steps. The workshop about academic reading and the journal clubs were good practice to understand how to get the most out of research articles.

Future goals: I want to use the next year to gain more experience as a research assistant and then return to Brazil (my home country) to pursue further education in nutrition and contribute to research there. I also want to earn more education in Spain later in my life, to learn from another country’s perspective and explore Europe!

Random fact about you: I played college volleyball at a community college surrounded by Kansas cornfields then transferred to play in a school deep in the Appalachian mountains.