A realization during her first nutrition course changed the direction of Regina Brown’s career. After beginning college on a pre-med track, she quickly saw that nutrition could offer a powerful way to influence health not only for individuals, but across entire populations. That insight set her on a path through food and nutrition policy research […]
A firsthand encounter with food insecurity in rural Bangladesh sparked Abira Nowar’s interest in nutrition and shaped her commitment to improving health among disadvantaged communities. Just before beginning her undergraduate studies, she volunteered at a community workshop in a rural area of Bangladesh, where she encountered families facing food insecurity and witnessed the ways limited […]
For Saiful Islam, nutrition has always been about more than what ends up on an individual’s plate. Growing up in Bangladesh and later building a career in public health nutrition, he became increasingly interested in how food environments, economic conditions, climate, and policy shape what food individuals have access to and, ultimately, their health. This […]
A passion for prevention and a desire to create healthier food systems have guided Tessa Lasswell’s journey from registered dietitian to USDA nutritionist and now doctoral student. Beginning this fall, Tessa joins the Department of Health Behavior at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health and the Global Food Research Program (GFRP), where she […]
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 […]
The end of summer marks the end of GFRP’s fourth year of the Fellowship for Exploring Research in Nutrition (FERN), a 9-week internship for undergraduate students interested in food policy research. Over the course of their summer, the fellows built foundational research skills, attended professional development workshops, assisted on research projects and learned about current topics and […]
Passion for promoting a healthier and more equitable food environment and commitment to improve public health have guided Cristina Lee from her early days studying pharmaceutical sciences in Brazil to her new role as a first-year doctoral student in the Department of Nutrition at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. She joins the […]
Leaving behind her home country of Colombia, Mafe Parra embarks on a new academic endeavor to shape the future of public health as a doctoral student in the Department of Health Behavior at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. She joins the Global Food Research Program (GFRP) this fall under the advisership of […]
Carmen Prestemon is eager to impact public health by advancing nutrition policy as a doctoral student in the Nutrition Department at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. Carmen first joined the Global Food Research Program (GFRP) as an undergraduate research assistant, launching her path into nutrition policy research, and will now be continuing […]
Passion to empower communities by improving dietary health is what fuels Carolyn Chelius, a first-year doctoral student in the Department of Health Behavior at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. She recently joined the Global Food Research Program (GFRP) under the advisership of GFRP faculty Shu Wen Ng and Marissa Hall. Carolyn will […]
The close of summer also marks the end of GFRP’s third 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 […]
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 […]