Faculty & Staff

Miriam E. Nelson, PhD

Director, Associate Professor
miriam.nelson@tufts.edu

Miriam E. Nelson, PhD is director of the John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Obesity Prevention and Associate Professor of Nutrition at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. She is also a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, an honor reserved for those who have demonstrated leadership and research in the field of exercise. For the past 19 years, Dr. Nelson has been principal investigator of studies on exercise and nutrition, work supported by grants from the government and private foundations. In 2007 to 2008, Dr. Nelson was appointed to serve as the vice chair of the Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee. The report was used to develop the inaugural Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans released in October of 2008. She is currently serving on the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee for the US Department of Agriculture. More about Miriam Nelson

 

Christina D. Economos, PhD

Associate Director, Associate Professor
christina.economos@tufts.edu

Christina Economos is the Associate Director of the John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Obesity Prevention, the New Balance Chair in Childhood Nutrition, and an Associate Professor at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and the School of Medicine, Tufts University. Dr. Economos received a Bachelor of Science from Boston University, a Master of Science in Applied Physiology and Nutrition from Columbia University and a doctorate in Nutrition Science from Tufts University. More about Christina Economos

Faculty

Sara C. Folta, PhD

Assistant Professor
sara.folta@tufts.edu

Sara C. Folta, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Obesity Prevention at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. She has a research interest in communications and intervention strategies to promote positive behavior change in the areas of physical activity and nutrition. More about Sara Folta

 

Jeanne P. Goldberg, PhD, RD

Professor
jeanne.goldberg@tufts.edu

Jeanne Goldberg, professor of nutrition, is Founding Director of the Graduate Program in Nutrition Communication at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. More about Jeanne Goldberg

 

Jen Sacheck, PhD

Assistant Professor
jennifer.sacheck@tufts.edu

Jennifer Sacheck, PhD, is an assistant professor in the John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Obesity Prevention at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, and a scientist in the Antioxidants Research Laboratory at the Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. She is an active member of the American College of Sports Medicine as well as the Obesity Society, and is a certified strength and conditioning specialist.. More about Jennifer Sacheck

Associated Faculty

Mark Fenton, MS

Adjunct Professor
mark.fenton@verizon.net

Mark Fenton is a national public health, planning, and transportation expert. He hosted the "America's Walking" series on PBS television, and has been a consultant to the University of North Carolina’s National Center for Safe Routes to School. He was also a facilitator for the walkable community workshop series of the National Center for Bicycling and Walking. A former editor of WALKING magazine, Mark was a member of the United States national race walking team from 1986 to 1991, and competed in the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Trials in the 50-kilometer (31-mile) race-walk. He studied biomechanics at the Massachusetts Institute Technology, where he earned BS and MS degrees, was a researcher at the Olympic Training Center’s Sports Science Laboratory in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and manager of Reebok's Human Performance Laboratory. Mark has research publications and articles related to exercise science, physical activity promotion, and community level interventions. He's a vocal advocate for non-motorized transportation, a frequent consultant on bicycle and pedestrian community plans, and recognized authority on public health issues and the need for community, environmental, and public-policy initiatives to encourage more walking, bicycling, and transit use.

 

Elizabeth Goodman, MD

Adjunct Professor of Public Health and Professor of Nutrition at Tufts University
egoodman3@partners.org

Elizabeth Goodman, MD, a pediatrician with sub-specialty training in adolescent medicine, is director of the MGH Center for Child and Adolescent Health Policy, associate chief of community-based research at the MassGeneral Hospital for Children, and visiting professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.More about Elizabeth Goodman

 

Raymond Hyatt, PhD

Assistant Professor, Tufts School of Medicine, Public Health and Community Medicine
raymond.hyatt@tufts.edu

Dr. Raymond R. Hyatt is a medical sociologist who studies the effects of the social construction of families and communities on health outcomes. His work focuses on the role that social capital, family units, and community organizations play in the production of health. More about Raymond Hyatt

 

Aviva Must, PhD

Professor, Tufts School of Medicine, Public Health and Community Medicine
aviva.must@tufts.edu

Dr. Must is the Morton A. Madoff Professor of Public Health at the Tufts University School of Medicine, and Chair of the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine. Her research area is the epidemiology of obesity, with a focus on long-term physical and psychosocial health consequences of childhood growth characteristics and obesity effects at critical periods across the lifespan, such as adolescence and pregnancy. More about Aviva Must

Doctoral Fellows

Lauren Au, MS, RD

USDA Doctoral Fellow in Obesity
lauren.au@tufts.edu

Lauren Au is working with Dr. Sacheck on assessing the impact of varying doses of vitamin D on serum vitamin D in 4th-8th grade schoolchildren. Lauren's research interests include understanding the associations of dietary vitamin D, adiposity, and skin color to serum vitamin D in children. Lauren received her MS and RD in nutrition and public health at Columbia University and her BS in dietetics at the University of California, Berkeley.

Becca Boulos, MPH

USDA Doctoral Fellow in Obesity
rebecca.boulos@tufts.edu

Becca Boulos is working with Dr. Economos on the community-based participatory research (CBPR) intervention, Assessing and Preventing Obesity in New Immigrants ("Live Well"). Becca is passionate about using CBPR as a way to ignite individual and community activism and ownership over changing psychological and social conditions that influence weight-related behavioral decisions, such as dietary intake and physical activity. Before coming to Tufts, Becca received her MPH with a concentration in Social and Behavioral Sciences from the Yale School of Public Health and her BA in Communications from The George Washington University.

Michael Corcoran, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow, VIVE
michael.corcoran@tufts.edu

Michael Corcoran received his doctorate in cellular and molecular nutrition from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. His thesis work focused on the effects of hormonal and dietary factors on atherogenesis in humans. Michael’s research interests include studying the effects of physical fitness, nutrition, and obesity on disease outcomes and quality of life in both young and old populations. He is currently the project leader for the VIVE study. VIVE (Vitality, Independence, and Vigor in Elders) is a single-blinded, randomized controlled field trial that aims to assess the effectiveness of a targeted exercise-nutrition program on functional mobility, nutritional status, and psychosocial factors in older adults. Before coming to Tufts, Michael received his bachelor’s degree in biology from Saint Bonaventure University.

Biz Haselwandter, MS

Nestlé Doctoral Fellow
elizabeth.haselwandter@tufts.edu

Biz Haselwandter is currently working on her thesis and for the VIVE (Vitality, Independence, and Vigor in Elders) Study. Her research interests include the built environment, older adults, and physical activity. She recently received her MS in food policy and applied nutrition from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. She also holds a BS in psychology and classical studies from Tufts. Prior to coming to Friedman, she worked in Private Wealth Management at Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, and Merrill Lynch.

Daniel P. Hatfield, MS

USDA Doctoral Fellow in Obesity
daniel.hatfield@tufts.edu

A former high-school teacher and coach, Dan is especially interested in physical activity and nutrition policies and programming for children in underserved communities. As a 2010-2011 Albert Schweitzer Fellow, he helped launch a health and fitness program for middle-school-aged boys in East Boston and remains active in that community. He earned his MS in nutrition communication at Tufts and a BA in English language and literature from Princeton.

Emily Kuross, MS

Friedman Citizen's Doctoral Fellow
emily.kuross@tufts.edu

Emily Kuross received a BA in biology from Carleton College and an MS in nutrition communication from the Friedman School. While completing her master's degree, Emily also worked for 2 years as the health and fitness program senior educator and FAO Schwarz Family Foundation Children's Fellow at the Boston Children's Museum.

Sarah Sliwa, MS

New Balance Fellow
sarah.sliwa@tufts.edu

Sarah Sliwa recently received her masters degree in food policy & economics from Tufts University and holds a BA in international relations also from Tufts University. Prior to pursuing her doctoral degree Sarah worked for Dr. Economos and other Center faculty on the Children in Balance Initiative.

Alison Tovar, PhD, MPH

Postdoctoral Fellow
alison.tovar@tufts.edu

Alison Tovar is a postdoctoral research fellow working with Dr. Christina Economos on Live Well, a community based participatory intervention to moderate or reduce weight gain in new immigrant mothers. She received an NIH supplement to study the parent-child feeding relationship in recent Haitian, Brazilian and Latino immigrants that are participating in the Live Well study. She received her doctorate in nutritional biochemistry and metabolism from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and her MPH in epidemiology and biostatistics from the School of Medicine at Tufts University. She received her BS from Northeastern University in psychology. Her research interests focus on working across the disciplines of nutrition, psychology, epidemiology and community based participatory interventions to prevent obesity at early stages in life, in particular among ethnic minority populations.

Staff

Heather M. Angstrom, MS

Project Coordinator, Out-of-School Time Initiative, ChildObesity180
heather.angstrom@tufts.edu

Heather holds an MS in health communication from the Tufts School of Medicine and a BA in studio art and women’s studies from Colgate University. Prior to joining ChildObesity180, she worked for five years as the program coordinator for Tufts’ Water: Systems, Science and Society graduate research and education program and the Tufts Institute of the Environment.

Julia Bloom Herzog, MPH

Director of the Office of Program Management, ChildObesity180
julia.bloom@tufts.edu

Julia Bloom is the project manager for ChildObesity180. The goal of ChildObesity180 is to bring together national leaders from government, public health, academia, media, industry, philanthropy, and advocacy to develop a national plan for childhood obesity prevention. Julia received her MPH, concentrating in social and behavioral science, from the Boston University School of Public Health and her BS in psychology from Xavier University in Cincinnati.

Lisa Burgin, BFA

Administrative Assistant to the Chair, ChildObesity180
Lisa.burgin@tufts.edu

Lisa serves as the assistant to the Chair and provides administrative support for the day-to-day operations of ChildObesity180. She holds a bachelor of fine arts degree in theatre from Salem State University as well as a minor in women's studies. She is also a co-founder and co-owner of an internationally touring theatre company. Prior to joining ChildObesity180, she worked for five years as the senior administrative assistant at Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership’s Essential Care Program.

Julia Canfield, BS

Staff Assistant, Children in Balance
julia.canfield@tufts.edu

Julia Canfield provides administrative support for Dr. Christina Economos. She received her BS in public health, as well as a minor in interpersonal and relational communication, from Southern Connecticut State University in 2010.

Valerie Clark, MS, RD

Project Coordinator, StrongWomen-Healthy Hearts
valerie.clark@tufts.edu

Valerie Clark is the project coordinator for the national dissemination of StrongWomen–Healthy Hearts. Valerie received her MS in nutrition from Case Western Reserve University and her BS in nutrition from Cornell University. Valerie has worked at the John Hancock Research Center since 2007 on projects focusing on childhood obesity prevention and, more recently, on adult fitness.

Joyce De Padua, MS

Project Coordinator, New Immigrant Health Grant
joyce.depadua@tufts.edu

Joyce De Padua received her Masters degree in Public Health and Nutrition in Brazil from Universidade Estadual de Campinas/Sao Paulo – Unicamp. After graduation, she led a number of nutrition studies focusing on the delivery of social services sponsored by the local and national government. She then returned to school to earn an additional degree in Law. Since coming to the United States, she has worked with the Brazilian community through the Brazilian Immigrant Center and local law offices. These activities have helped her develop a strong relationship with the Boston immigrant community.

Karen Fullerton, MEd, RD

Research Coordinator, VIVE
karen.fullerton@tufts.edu

Karen received her undergraduate degree in dietetics at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. She later completed the Tufts combined degree program with the Frances Stern Nutrition Center to become a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in education. Since then, Karen has worked with the elderly in nutrition programming and has research experience with children, families and older adults. Karen has also developed a curriculum called "Insightful Writing through Letters."

Megan Halmo, MPH, LCSWS

Project Coordinator, Breakfast Initiative, ChildObesity180
megan.halmo@tufts.edu

Megan holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from The University of Michigan, and earned an MSW and MPH from the Boston University dual degree program in social work and public health. Megan has previously worked in administration and research in higher education and as a social worker in the non-profit sector.

Julianne Heck, BA

Grants and Partnership Administrator, ChildObesity180
julianne.heck@tufts.edu

Prior to joining ChildObesity180, Julianne worked as the grant writer for the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition; worked in fundraising at several diverse nonprofits; supported analysts at an SEC-registered investment fund; and interned at both the United Nations Development Programme and a local organic farm. She holds a BA in interdisciplinary creative studies from Hofstra University, and is an MA candidate in international law at the UN mandated University for Peace.

Eleanor Heidkamp-Young, ACSM HFS

Program Coordinator, StrongWomen Program
eleanor.heidkamp_young@tufts.edu

Since January 2009, Eleanor Heidkamp-Young has managed the daily activities of the StrongWomen Strength Training Program at Tufts University. She is an American College of Sports Medicine certified Health Fitness Specialist. Eleanor graduated in May 2008 with a BA from Tufts University. As an undergraduate, Eleanor was a Tisch College Scholar of Citizenship and Public Service and led projects with the Somerville Homeless Coalition, Boston ACCESS, and the Campus Kitchens Program, a food donation and culinary job training program. Eleanor is a DOT First Responder, a Wilderness First Responder, and worked briefly with the US Park Service as a seasonal ranger.

Bridgid Junot, MPH

Consultant

Ms. Junot has extensive experience in community engagement to improve the food and physical activity environment. Previously, she managed a three-year Shape Up Somerville replication project in three metropolitan cities around the country. Ms. Junot is working closely with the StrongWomen team to develop the civic engagement plan for StrongWomen Across America, including creating the written tool kits and materials for the Change Clubs that will assist leaders in the community change process.

Christina Luongo Kamins, MS

Project Coordinator, New Immigrant Health Grant
christina.luongo@tufts.edu

Christina Luongo Kamins received her M.S. in Nutrition from Tufts University in 2009, and is now our Spanish-speaking Project Coordinator for the New Immigrant Health Grant. Before pursuing her Masters degree, she worked for five years in the community nutrition field, first serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in the highlands of Bolivia and then as a nutrition educator in Chicago public schools. In Boston she has interned as a nutrition counselor and wellness coach at the Healthworks Foundation Fitness Center. In her free time, she teaches indoor cycling and nutrition classes in Jamaica Plain.

Allison Knott, RD

Graduate Student Project Coordinator, StrongWomen Across America

Allison Knott is an MS candidate, Nutrition Communications, at Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. She is currently providing support for the StrongWomen Across America initiative by coordinating research and communications strategies. Allison completed her dietetic internship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN, and became a Registered Dietitian in 2008. She previously worked as a clinical dietitian in Northern Georgia before coming to the Friedman School. Allison is a member of the Massachusetts Dietetic Association and serves on the Membership Committee.

Nicole Lanoue, MA

Grants coordinator
nicole.lanoue@tufts.edu

Nicole Lanoue is the grants coordinator with the John Hancock Research Center. Nicole became interested in obesity and nutrition as human rights issues while earning her master’s degree in international law and human rights at the UN University for Peace in San Jose, Costa Rica. Nicole first worked in human rights with Physicians for Human Rights in Cambridge, MA, where she served as the Health Action AIDS campaign coordinator. Nicole has several years of grant writing and grant management experience, most recently as the director of operations with Sustainable Tompkins and, prior to that, as the outreach and development adviser for the Urbana Champaign Independent Media Center. Nicole holds a BA in French from the College of the Holy Cross.

Vanessa Lynskey, BA

Program Coordinator, ChildObesity180
vanessa.Lynskey@tufts.edu

Vanessa Lynskey serves as the program coordinator for ChildObesity180. The goal of ChildObesity180 is to bring together national leaders from government, public health, academia, media, industry, philanthropy, and advocacy to develop a national plan for childhood obesity prevention. She received her BA in community health and American studies from Tufts University and is currently pursuing an MPH from the Tufts University School of Medicine.

Nesly Metayer, MPA, EDM candidate

Project Manager, New Immigrant Health Grant
nesly.metayer@tufts.edu

Nesly Metayer has 19 years of experience in management development with specialized focus in organizational development and strategic planning and public health project design and implementation. Now the Project Manager for the New Immigrant Health Grant, Nesly has worked as the Director of Community Development and Capacity Building at the Center for Community Health, Education & Research in Dorchester, Mass. Previously, he worked for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Commissioner’s Office as the Director of Community Planning . He earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Haiti, a graduate diploma from the National School of Administration, International Institute of Public Administration, a DESS from the University of Paris XI, and a Doctorate in Administration from the University of Paris-Sorbonne. Metayer has been awarded a Doctoral Research Fellowship at the Mandel Center/EDM Non-Profit Fellowship and is a Candidate for Executive Doctorate in Management at the Weatherhead School Of Management at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.

Molly Newman, MS, RD

Senior Project Manager, ChildObesity180

Molly Newman is the senior project manager for the Out-Of-School Time initiative for ChildObesity180. The goal of ChildObesity180 is to bring together national leaders from government, public health, academia, media, industry, philanthropy, and advocacy to develop a national plan for childhood obesity prevention. Molly is a registered dietitian with an MS in nutrition science. She has worked as a pediatric dietitian counseling overweight children and their families, and has also worked in the field of nutrition communications. Prior to becoming a dietitian, Molly worked for over ten years as an event and project manager.

Fran Newton, BA

Center Administrator
fran.newton@tufts.edu

Fran manages the center's day-to-day organization and operations with a focus on center administration, communications, and managing growth of the center. She graduated from Boston College with a degree in mathematics and, prior to joining the JHRC, spent most of her professional career in the insurance industry at John Hancock Financial Services. While there, she successfully passed the first 5 actuarial examinations to meet the requirements for associateship in the Society of Actuaries.

Elizabeth Olson, MPH

Project Coordinator, The Daily D Health Study
elizabeth.olson@tufts.edu

Prior to joining JHRC in her current role, Elizabeth worked as a student research assistant on the Fit study, which was the pilot study for the Daily D Health Study. She also earned her MPH from the Tufts University School of Medicine during that time. Before returning to graduate school, she worked for the March of Dimes, the American Cancer Society, and as a volunteer English teacher in Viet Nam. She received her BA from the University of California Santa Cruz in international law & politics. Her primary interests are in maternal and child health, and in the elimination of health disparities around the globe.

Lindsay Peterson, MS, MEd

Project Manager, The GREEN Project
lindsay.peterson@tufts.edu

Lindsay Peterson is the project manager for The GREEN Project, a school-based nutrition intervention linking healthy eating and eco-friendly behaviors. The goal of the project is to improve the nutritional quality of foods children bring from home to school while reducing environmental impact. Lindsay, a former middle school teacher, earned her bachelor’s degree and MEd at the University of Notre Dame. She is a graduate of the nutrition communication program at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts.

Emily Rak, MS

Project Coordinator, ChildObesity180

Emily Rak received her MS in Food Policy and Applied Nutrition from Tuft’s Friedman School in 2011. She now serves as the Project Coordinator on ChildObesity180’s Physical Activity in Schools Initiative. She received her BA in anthropology from the University of Vermont in 2007.

Shanti Sharma, PhD

Senior Researcher, ChildObesity180
shanti.sharma@tufts.edu

Shanti has a science background with a PhD in biochemistry. She spent the last nine years at the University of Rochester Medical Center where she served as managing editor of a scientific journal and taught a graduate level course in scientific communication. In addition, Shanti held positions in research support and graduate program management within the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at the University of Rochester.

Sarah Apgar Smith, MBA

Senior Initiative Manager, Breakfast Initiative, ChildObesity180
sarah.smith@tufts.edu

Prior to joining the CO180 team, Sarah owned and operated TrailSmiths LLC, designing outdoor education and leadership experiences for young people and teams. She served as a platoon leader and executive officer in the Army Engineer Corps for four years and is an All-American rugby player and triathlete. Sarah has a BA from Princeton and MBA from the Tuck School at Dartmouth.

Katie Smyrski, MPH

Researcher
kathleen.smyrski@tufts.edu

Katie holds an MPH in epidemiology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a BS in nutrition science from the University of Alabama. Prior to joining ChildObesity180, Katie worked as a program coordinator for the Department of Emergency Medicine Research Division at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Charlette Steed

Project Coordinator, The Daily D Health Study
charlette.steed@tufts.edu

Before coming to the JHRC, Charlette worked at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in the Center for Community-Based Research. She has spent a considerable amount of time working in underserved communities providing counseling and education on the importance of physical activity and making healthier food choices to combat obesity. She received her BA in psychology with a concentration in neuroscience from Williams College in 2004.

Kerline Tofuri, BA

Project Coordinator, New Immigrant Health Grant
kerline.tofuri@tufts.edu

Kerline Auguste Tofuri, as our Haitian Project Coordinator brings with her significant experience in adult education and community empowerment. From an ESL teacher working with Haitian Adult learners to Project Manager at the English for New Bostonians (ENB) ESOL Project, Kerline coordinated funded adult education program, and supported institutions developed process data for their programs. Kerline is responsible for recruitment and the coordination of the implementation of the intervention within the Haitian community of Somerville. She works closely with the Haitian Coalition in Somerville. Kerline has a BA in Cultural Anthropology.

Adee Viskin, BS

Research Assistant, StrongWomen—Healthy Hearts
adee.viskin@tufts.edu

Adee serves as a research assistant for the StrongWomen-Healthy Hearts project. She received her BS degree in public health from The George Washington University. She is currently pursuing an MS in food policy and applied nutrition, as well as an MPH from Tufts University. Prior to working at the center, Adee worked in health communications for a large nonprofit organization in Washington, DC.

Nathaniel Whitman, MA

Initiative Director, Physical Activity Initiative, ChildObesity180
nathaniel.whitman@tufts.edu

Nate brings to the organization a deep background in strategy and business development, having held leadership roles with notable firms including Live Nation Entertainment, Liberty Media, and The Boston Consulting Group. He has served as an expert consultant to leading equipment, events, and nutrition companies in the health and wellness space. Nate holds both undergraduate and master's degrees from Stanford University.

Catherine Wright, MS

Senior Research Coordinator, The GREEN Project
catherine.wright@tufts.edu

Catherine recently received her master's degree in nutrition, focused on food policy, from the Friedman School. As a Friedman student, she made many contributions to the GREEN project. She has worked with the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, primarily on projects focusing on food marketing to children. Prior to returning to graduate school at Friedman, she worked for more than ten years for the PBS documentary series Frontline, serving most recently as the series’ story editor.