Carlos Roberto Soto Díaz wants to improve food environments and health equity through effective public policy, particularly in his home country of Puerto Rico, but also in other Latin American countries. He is one of three new doctoral students who joined the Global Food Research Program (GFRP) this fall, where he will be researching under […]
Laina Ewoldt is looking for new solutions to combat climate change and nutritional access. Laina is one of three new doctoral students who joined the Global Food Research Program (GFRP) this fall under the advisership of GFRP faculty Lindsey Smith Taillie. Originally from the Dallas, Texas area, Laina moved to North Carolina this summer and […]
Curiosity, passion, and a desire to make equitable change drives Jonathan Lara-Arévalo, a first-year PhD student in the Department of Nutrition at UNC-Chapel Hill. Jonathan is one of three new doctoral students who joined the Global Food Research Program (GFRP) this fall, where he will be researching under the advisership of GFRP faculty Lindsey Smith […]
The close of summer also marks the end of GFRP’s second year of the Fellowship for Exploring Research in Nutrition (FERN), a 9-week research internship for undergraduate students interested in food policy research. Over the course of the summer, the fellows built foundational research skills, attended professional development workshops, participated in GFRP team activities, assisted […]
The opportunity to make a broad impact on food policy is what drives both Claudia Nieto and Gabriela García, two PhD students from Mexico who are visiting scholars at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Global Food Research Program (GFRP) this year. Both Claudia and Gabriela are students at GFRP’s research partner National Institute of Public Health (INSP, Instituto […]
UNC-Chapel Hill is accepting applications for the Carolina Postdoctoral Program for Faculty Diversity (CPPFD). The program aims to develop and support scholars from different backgrounds, with potential advancement to tenure-track faculty appointments at UNC or other research universities. Research appointments start July 1, 2023 and last two years. During that time, scholars will engage in full-time […]
Last week marked the end of the GFRP’s inaugural Fellowship for Exploring Research in Nutrition (FERN), a 10-week summer research internship for undergraduate students interested in food policy research. In spring, we welcomed outstanding students Emerald Izuakor from UNC-Chapel Hill, Tiffany Williams from NC State University, and Sydni Wright from UNC Charlotte. Over the course […]
As part of ongoing efforts to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in the research community, the Global Food Research Program has announced a 12-week paid summer fellowship for BIPOC students interested in food policy and nutrition research. The Fellowship for Exploring Research in Nutrition (FERN) is open to rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors from any major, at […]
For Aline D’Angelo Campos and Gabriela Vatavuk-Serrati, academic pursuits have evolved from personal experiences. The two doctoral students recently joined UNC’s Global Food Research Program (GFRP). Aline and Gabriela both grew up in Brazil, a GFRP country of focus because it has experienced “nutrition transition.” This term describes dietary shifts toward more ultra-processed foods that […]
A recent analysis from researchers at UNC’s Global Food Research Program (GFRP) shows that, although U.S. children are consuming less junk food overall, their diets are still dominated by less healthy foods. Such results show the importance of sustained policy discussions surrounding how foods and beverages are marketed to children – and those who care […]
Dalia Stern, PhD won an Graduate Education Advancement Board Impact Award, recognizing research discoveries that contribute to better futures for people in North Carolina, for her research analyzing where people shopped for food, which foods they purchased and the nutrient profile of their purchases. Dr. Stern’s project, titled Do More Food Shopping Options Lead to Healthier Decisions? […]
A new study by Christopher N. Ford, PhD, found that a tax on beverages high in sugar and/or fat may be associated with favorable shifts in food and beverage purchases among households in the United States with a preschool child. A press release by the Gillings School of Global Public Health featured Ford’s research: Researchers […]
A study by Jennifer Poti found that >75% of the foods Americans purchased from grocery stores is moderately or highly processed, as reported by TIME on May 21, 2015. As much as Americans like to pretend to worship at the altar of kale, many of us are cheating with chips, a new study suggests. We like junk […]
A new study by Christopher Ford, doctoral candidate in nutrition epidemiology at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and research assistant with the UNCFRP evaluated beverage trends of U.S. preschool children over a 10 year period between 2003-2012. The study noted that among U.S. preschoolers, total caloric intake fell by 132 calories per day, with […]
A new study published in the journal Social Science & Medicine, titled No time for the gym? Housework and other non-labor market time use patterns are associated with meeting physical activity recommendations among adults in full-time, sedentary jobs, with lead author Lindsey Smith, found that people with sedentary (or deskbound) jobs can still meet national […]
Release from UNC Gillings School of Public Health – September 17, 2014 (CHAPEL HILL, N.C.) 16 of the world’s largest food and beverage producing companies pledged to help reduce obesity of American families with children two to 18 years old by pledging to eliminate 1 trillion calories from the products these companies sold in the […]
A new report in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, titled Are Food and Beverage Purchases in Households with Preschoolers Changing? A Longitudinal Analysis from 2000 to 2011, with lead author Chris Ford, shows that between 2000-2011 purchases of high calorie foods and beverages declined in households with preschoolers. This study was featured by the Gillings School of […]
Recent research by UNCFRP team members and UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health researchers finds evidence of a decline in U.S. children’s reported energy intake in the early 2000s that is consistent with the previously identified obesity plateau that occurred in children in the early 2000s. It’s not all good news, though: the team […]
A new study by Dalia Stern found that caloric beverages were a main source of energy (calories) for children and adults in Mexico between 1999-2012. The study was first published online in The Journal of Nutrition April 17, and findings are being highlighted by the Gillings School of Global Public Health. Mexico has some of […]
Jennifer Poti, PhD student and UNC Food Research Program team member, was awarded a 2014 Impact Award by the Graduate School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Impact Awards are awarded to recognize graduate students for contributions they are making to our state. Read more about Jennifer Poti’s work and the […]