Leadership & Service

Leadership

I am the co-lead and co-founder of the Stanford Food Systems, Health, and Environment working group, alongside Drs. Christopher Gardner and Tamiko Katsumoto. Our transdisciplinary working group convenes experts across all areas of food systems to foster collaboration, generate new knowledge, and drive meaningful impact on nutrition, health, and the environment. In my role, I lead sessions, contribute to strategic planning, and manage the organization and day-to-day logistics.

Throughout my career, I have consistently taken on leadership roles, supporting the organization and effective functioning of my research teams and departments.

Service and Equity in Research

Undernutrition and environmental degradation are equity issues. Billions of people around the world cannot afford a healthy diet. Simultaneously, climate change threatens to increase food insecurity among those already most vulnerable to undernutrition. Those who contribute the least to causing climate change – the poor and future generations – will be the most affected. 

Through my research, I aim to contribute to building an equitable and resilient food system by focusing my work on those most vulnerable to climate change and undernutrition. Recognizing that local and Indigenous approaches to food and agriculture hold key scientific knowledge, my research approach seeks to learn from local practices and knowledge to solve planetary health challenges.

In my research, teaching, and mentorship, I  seek to support a diverse and inclusive environment that values all perspectives and uplifts the contributions of those who have systematically been marginalized from scientific research. During my time as a PhD student at the University of Michigan, I served on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee to develop and support DEI initiatives, including organizing DEI seminars, integrating DEI into the department’s core curriculum, creating a safe space for students to voice issues, and bringing students concerns to the department administration. I also serve as a voluntary peer reviewer for PREPSS (Pre-Publication Support Service), an organization that provides scientific writing support for researchers around the globe.