Isabella Higgins headshot

Isabella Higgins

Doctoral Student

Isabella Higgins joined the Global Food Research Program at UNC as a Project Manager after earning her Master in Public Policy degree from George Washington University. Prior to entering into food policy research, she engaged in research and nonprofit work in the field of sexual and reproductive health. Her research interests include research focused on policies that promote and work to achieve health equity. After two years as a project manager, Isabella began UNC’s doctoral program in health behaviors in August, 2021.

My family’s holiday favorite is… my mom’s peanut butter pie. It’s amaaazing.

My favorite food for summer is… a fresh salad with produce purchased from the NC Farmer’s Market.

When I’m in a time crunch, I love to make avocado toast. I mix mashed avocado with cumin, chili powder, hot sauce, lime juice, salt, pepper, and a little bit of olive oil, then I put it on top of toasted ezekiel bread.

GFRP Publications

Impact of taxes and warning labels on red meat purchases in a naturalistic online grocery store: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Lindsey Smith Taillie, Maxime Bercholz, Carmen Prestemon, Isabella Higgins, Anna H. Grummon, Marissa G. Hall, Lindsay Jaacks
Published in: PLOS Medicine, September 18, 2023
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Natural claims on sugary fruit drinks: a randomized experiment with US parents
Authors: Marissa Hall, Ana Paula Richter, Phoebe Ruggles, Cristina Lee, Allison Lazard, Anna Grummon, Isabella Higgins, Emily Duffy, Lindsey Smith Taillie
Published in: American Journal of Preventive Medicine, July 18, 2023 view full text

How pictorial warnings change parents’ purchases of sugar-sweetened beverage for their children: mechanisms of impact
Authors: Marissa Hall, Anna Grummon, Alison Lazard, T. Queen, Isabella Higgins, A. P. Richter, Lindsey Smith Taillie
Published in: International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, June 23, 2023 view full text

Effects of pictorial warnings on parents' purchases and perceptions of sugar-sweetened beverage categories
Authors: Aline D'Angelo Campos, Lindsey Smith Taillie, Gabriela Vatavuk-Serrati, Anna H. Grummon, Isabella C. A. Higgins, Marissa G. Hall
Published in: Pediatric Obesity, March 25, 2023 view full text

Do sugar warning labels influence parents' selection of a labeled snack for their children? A randomized trial in a virtual convenience store
Authors: Lindsey Smith Taillie, Isabella C. A. Higgins, Allison J. Lazard, Donna R. Miles, Jonathan L. Blitstein, Marissa G. Hall
Published in: Appetite, May 5, 2022 (online ahead of print) view full text

Impact of nutrient warning labels on choice of ultra-processed food and drinks high in sugar, sodium, and saturated fat in Colombia: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Mercedes Mora-Plazas, Isabella Carolyn Aida Higgins, Luis Fernando Gomez, Marissa Hall, Maria Fernanda Parra, Maxime Bercholz, Nandita Murukutla, Lindsey Smith Taillie
Published in: PLOS ONE, February 11, 2022 view full text

The impact of pictorial health warnings on purchases of sugary drinks for children: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Marissa G. Hall, Anna H. Grummon, Isabella C. A. Higgins, Allison J. Lazard, Carmen E. Prestemon, Mirian I. Avendaño-Galdamez, Lindsey Smith Taillie 
Published in: PLOS Medicine, February 1, 2022 view full text

Nutrition-related claims lead parents to choose less healthy drinks for young children: a randomized trial in a virtual convenience store
Authors: Marissa G. Hall, Allison J. Lazard, Isabella C. A. Higgins, Jonathan L Blitstein, Emily W. Duffy, Eva Greenthal, Sarah Sorscher, Lindsey Smith Taillie
Published in: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January 18, 2022 view full text

Awareness of and reactions to the health harms of sugary drinks: An online study of US parents
Authors: Alexandra E. Carl, Lindsey Smith Taillie, Anna H. Grummon, Allison J. Lazard, Isabella C. A. Higgins, Jennifer Mendel Sheldon, Marissa G. Hall
Published in: Appetite, September 1, 2021 view full text

Using a naturalistic store laboratory for clinical trials of point-of-sale nutrition policies and interventions: A feasibility and validation study
Authors: Marissa G. Hall, Isabella C. A. Higgins, Anna H. Grummon, Allison J. Lazard, Carmen E. Prestemon, Jennifer Mendel Sheldon, Lindsey Smith Taillie.
Published in: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, August 18, 2021 view full text

Designing warnings for sugary drinks: A randomized experiment with Latino parents and non-Latino parents
Authors: Marissa G. Hall, Allison J. Lazard, Anna H. Grummon, Isabella C. A. Higgins, Maxime Bercholz, Ana Paula C. Richter, Lindsey Smith Taillie
Published in: Preventive Medicine, July 1, 2021 view full text

Toddler milk perceptions and purchases: The role of Latino ethnicity
Authors: Emily W. Duffy, Lindsey S. Taillie, Ana P. Richter, Isabella C. Higgins, Jennifer L. Harris, Marissa G. Hall
Published in: Public Health Nutrition, January 21 2021 view full text

A standardized guide to developing an online grocery store for testing nutrition-related policies and interventions in an online setting
Authors: Pasquale E. Rummo, Isabella Higgins, Christina Chauvenet, Annamaria Vesely, Lindsay M. Jaacks, Lindsey Smith Taillie
Published in: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, January 2021 view full text