Core Faculty Members

Family Studies & Human Development

Lara Descartes

Lara Descartes

Professor

Research Interest/Specialization

Parenting; LGBTQ+ Families; Health; Aging; Children’s Food Socialization; Popular Culture/Media; Informal Social Support

David Green

David Green

Assistant Professor

Research Interest/Specialization

Parenting/Fathering; Mental Health; Emerging Adulthood; Ethnic Minority Family; Human Development

Roula Hawa

Roula Hawa

Associate Professor & Undergraduate Chair (Family Studies & Human Development)

Research Interest/Specialization

HIV Prevention and Intervention--Involving Racialized and Immigrant Women and Youth Groups; Youth Sexual Health, Mental Health, Resilience, and Wellbeing; Women's Health; Gender-Based Violence and Homelessness (in Canada and Globally); Health Promotion Across the Lifespan (Focus on Child, Youth and Elderly Health); Healthy Schools; Food Security and Healthy Eating; Arts-Based Research and Vulnerable Populations

Foods & Nutrition

Latifeh Ahmadi

Latifeh Ahmadi

Associate Professor

Research Interest/Specialization

Phyto-Nutrients and Their Application in Food; Food Waste Management; Replacing Natural Ingredients as Preservatives or Flavor Agents in Food Products and Reducing the Use of Synthetic Additives

Danielle S. Battram

Danielle S. Battram

Associate Professor and Director

Research Interest/Specialization

Food Literacy in Children and Adolescents; Childhood Obesity Prevention and Treatment; Food and Dietary Behaviour Support for Children and Families

Paula Dworatzek

Paula Dworatzek

Professor

Research Interest/Specialization

Food Skills - Development and Utilization of the Food Skills Questionnaire (FSQ); School Food Environments and Their Impact on Students' Eating Behaviours; Diabetes Clinical Practice Guidelines

Susan Greig (on leave)

Susan Greig (on leave)

Assistant Professor

Research Interest/Specialization

Foods and Nutrition

Brenda Hartman

Brenda Hartman

Associate Professor

Research Interest/Specialization

Maternal and Infant Nutrition; Diet and Supplement Intakes; Exclusionary Diet Patterns; Breastfeeding/Donor Milk; One-carbon Nutrients

Sharareh Hekmat

Sharareh Hekmat

Professor

Research Interest/Specialization

Functional Foods; Probiotics and Prebiotics; Product Development; Sensory Science; Food Chemistry and Microbiology

Joy Hoard

Joy Hoard

Lecturer

Research Interest/Specialization

Clinical Nutrition; Health Sciences Education; Dietetic Practicum

Lesley Macaskill

Lesley Macaskill

Lecturer

Research Interest/Specialization

Dietetic Practicum; Student Nutrition Programs; Restaurant Health Promotion

Janet Madill

Janet Madill

Professor

Research Interest/Specialization

Body Composition; Overweight; Obesity; Malnutrition; Nutrigenomics; Transplantation; Sarcopenia; Vitamin D Status and Intake

June Matthews

June Matthews

Professor

Research Interest/Specialization

Food skills; Peer Education; Agriculture education; Food, Nutrition, and Hydration Issues in Long-Term Care

Colleen O'Connor

Colleen O'Connor

Associate Professor and Undergraduate Chair (Foods & Nutrition)

Research Interest/Specialization

Learning and Communication Needs of Preceptors and Practicum Students; The Use of Technology to Promote Healthy Dietary Behaviours, Food Literacy and Local Food Consumption; Health Benefits of Fermented Foods and Beverages

Peggy O'Neil

Peggy O'Neil

Assistant Professor

Research Interest/Specialization

Food Leadership/Policy/Law/Philosophy; School Food/Literacy; Arts, Humanities; Humanistic Education

Jasna Twynstra

Jasna Twynstra

Associate Professor

Research Interest/Specialization

Pregnant People’s Nutrition Knowledge; Healthcare Professionals’ Prenatal Nutrition Education and Knowledge; Pregnant People’s Experiences with Nutrition for Their Pregnancy