About Our Lab

In the NourishNET Lab, our team conducts research that examines the interdependence between dietary behavior and the food environments people navigate, as well as the interpersonal connections they have, with an emphasis on early childhood.

We take this approach because we understand that dietary behavior – meaning the foods we acquire, prepare, offer to children, and eat – is highly socialized and dependent on what is available and accessible where people live.

The NourishNET Lab emphasizes early childhood, as it is a sensitive developmental period during which children establish dietary habits and preferences that persist into adulthood. Because early-life food exposures are so critical to dietary behavior in adult life, focusing on early childhood helps pave the way for thriving trajectories in nutrition and overall well-being.

Our research primarily focuses on US-based populations, although we maintain strong collaborations with outstanding research teams in Mexico, Chile, and the Sub-Saharan African context.