I received training in human nutrition (MSc from the University of Wageningen, the Netherlands), epidemiology (PhD from the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands) and biostatistical modeling (postdoctoral fellowship at the University of British Columbia).
In 1998, I immigrated to Canada to join the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology at Dalhousie University, Halifax. In July of 2004, I took a position at the University of Alberta where I am currently a professor in the School of Public Health.
I received a Canada Institutes for Health Research New Investigator Award and currently hold a Canada Research Chair in Population Health, an Alberta Research Chair in Nutrition and Disease Prevention, and an Alberta Innovates Health Scholar Award in support of my academic research program. This program studies the importance of nutrition, healthy lifestyle, socio-economic factors, intervention programs and policies in relation to overweight and chronic diseases with the overarching objective to advise on and direct new health policies and population intervention programs to prevent chronic diseases and improve quality of life.
I direct the Population Health Intervention Research Unit in the School of Public Health. Examples of initiatives within this unit include evaluations of the implementation of comprehensive school health programs:
Degrees
PDF, University of British Columbia, 2007
PhD, University of Amsterdam, 1996
MSc, University of Wageningen, 1988
Awards
Canada Research Chair in Population Health, Canada Research Chairs, 2006-2016
Alberta Research Chair in Nutrition and Disease Prevention, 2013-2018
Alberta Innovates Health Scholarship Award, 2007-2014
Canadian Institutes of Health Research New Investigator Award, 2000-2005
Keywords
childhood obesity
epidemiology
health policy
nutrition
population based research
public health
school health
Supervision
Currently accepting graduate students.
Nutrition is a major public health issue. Under-nutrition, malnutrition and over-nutrition all affect the health of individuals and mortality in developing countries, malnutrition to various nutrition related diseases and over-nutrition to obesity and numerous chronic diseases globally. The discipline of Public Health Nutrition focuses on the promotion of good health through nutrition and the primary prevention of nutrition related illness in the population. This course in Public Health Nutrition provides a broad knowledge base on causes and public health consequences of under-, mal- and over-nutrition, and address issues related to nutritional research methods, nutritional assessment methods, nutritional intervention strategies, and nutrition policies.
Fall Term 2020An interdisciplinary seminar designed to explore communication in public health including: written and oral communication of research to scientific and lay audiences, grant proposal and manuscript writing, poster and oral presentations. All PhD students are required to complete this course. Note: Credit may not be obtained for both PHS 603 and SPH 603.
Winter Term 2021Principal Investigator
privately funded
Principal Investigator
funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research
Principal Investigator
funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Canadian Population Health Initiative
Principal Investigator
funded through the Alberta Research Chair in Nutrition and Disease prevention
Principal Investigator
funded by Alberta Health
Principal Investigator funded by Alberta Innovates Health Solutions