Current trainees

Lisa Blank
BPH RPN

MSc Candidate (2024-present)

Research interests: sustainable food in healthcare settings, nutrition policy and health promotion, sustainable communities, planetary health, systems thinking

Martin Holmes
​BA MA

PhD Candidate (2019-present)

Research interests: food literacy, food environments, food ethnographies, dietary assessment methods, validation, population health, health promotion, implementation science, environmental sustainability and health, social determinants of health, geomatics

Read about Martin and his PhD thesis

Silver Nanema
BSc MSc

PhD Candidate (2024-present)

Research interests: nutrition policy, commercial determinants of health, systems thinking

Navreet Singh
BSc

MSc Candidate (2023-present)

Research interests: nutrition policy and health promotion, nutritional epidemiology, dietary patterns, health equity, public health systems, social determinants of health, systems thinking

Alumni

Alexandra Pepetone
BSc PhD

PhD (2019-2024)

Research interests: food security, implementation science, policy, systems thinking

Read about Alex and her PhD thesis

Alyssa Milano
BSc GDCE MSc

MSc (2022-2024)

Current position:
Research Associate, University of Waterloo and University of British Columbia

Research interests: nutrition epidemiology, chronic diseases, dietary patterns, social and ecological determinants of health

Read Alyssa's MSc thesis
Read about Alyssa's SPHS experience

Lesley Andrade
​BSc MHSc PhD RD

PhD (2017-2024)

Current positions:
Sessional Instructor, Toronto Metropolitan University
Research Associate, University of Waterloo

Research interests: population and public health, health equity, public health systems, healthy eating and nutrition policy, chronic disease prevention, healthy weights promotion and eating disorder/disordered eating prevention

Read Lesley's PhD thesis
Read about Lesley's SPHS experience

Joy Hutchinson
​BASc MSc PhD RD

PhD (2020-2024)

Current position:
Postdoctoral Scholar, École de nutrition, Université Laval

Research interests: dietary assessment methods, health equity, dietary patterns, nutritional epidemiology, household food insecurity, nutrition policy and promotion

Read Joy's PhD thesis
Read about Joy's SPHS experience

Mona Qutub
BSc

MPH Candidate (2021-2024)

Current position:
Pharmacy Assistant, Shoppers Drug Mart

Research interests: food security, food literacy, health promotion, systems thinking, implementation science, social determinants of health

Tabitha Williams
BPH MSc

MSc (2020-2022)

Current position:
Policy Analyst, Health Canada

Research interests: dietary assessment, cognitive testing, plant-based dietary patterns, environmental sustainability and health, health promotion, systems thinking, social determinants of health

Read Tabitha's MSc thesis

Carolyn Minnick
​BPH MSc

MSc (2019-2021)

Current position:
Senior Analyst, Ontario Health

Research interests: weight management, body image, eating disorders, dietary patterns, health promotion, health communication

Read Carolyn's MSc thesis

Kirsten Lee
​BSc PhD 

PhD (2017-2021)

Current position:
Canadian Institutes of Health Research Research Excellence, Diversity and Independence (REDI) Early Career Scholar, School of Global Health, York University

Research interests: food policy, food systems, food environments, environmental sustainability and health, health informatics, systems thinking and methods

Read Kirsten's PhD thesis
Read about Kirsten's SPHS experience

Amanda Raffoul
​BA MSc PhD

PhD (2016-2020)
MSc (2014-2016)

Current position:
Assistant Professor, Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto

Research interests: dieting/weight management, obesity, eating disorders, weight bias, body image, systems methods, women and adolescent health

Read Amanda's PhD thesis

Miriam Price
​BSc MSc MScOT

Research Associate (2018-2019)
MSc (2016-2018)

Current position:
Occupational Therapist, Vancouver Island Health Authority

Research interests: ​​dieting and weight loss behaviours, mental health, eating pathologies, social media, health information seeking behaviours
​

Read Miriam​'s MSc thesis

Michelle Marcinow
BSc MSc PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow (2016-2017)

Current position:
Research Associate, Trillium Health Partners

Research interests: dietary assessment, determinants of health, motivators and barriers to adequate nutrient intake, relationships between diet and health, nutrition education, knowledge dissemination, mixed methods

Read Michelle's PhD thesis

Merryn Maynard
BA MSc

MSc (2014-2016)

Current position:
Social Impact and Research Specialist, Maple Leaf Centre for Action on Food Security

Research interests: food insecurity, social determinants of health, health inequality, mental health, mixed methods

Read Merryn's MSc thesis

Read about Merryn's career journey