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, Ph.D. 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, the Obesity Society and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.More about Jennifer Sacheck
Associated Faculty
Elizabeth Goodman, MD
Professor, Tufts School of Medicine
egoodman@tuftsmedicalcenter.org
Elizabeth Goodman, MD, is Director of the Child and Adolescent Obesity Program at the Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center and a Professor of Pediatrics, Public Health and Nutrition at Tufts University. Dr. Goodman's research focuses on the processes through which social inequalities in health develop. Through her work, she has been attempting to understand how the structure of our society, created through social and economic policies and practices, influences health and well being— what she has termed "the biology of social justice." 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
USDA Doctoral Fellow in Obesity
lauren.au@tufts.edu
Lauren Au completed her undergraduate work in Dietetics at the University of California, Berkeley and received her Masters in Nutrition and Public Health at Columbia University. Her current research interests include HIV/AIDS nutrition and obesity-related chronic diseases.
Becca Boulos, MPH
USDA Doctoral Fellow in Obesity
rebecca.boulos@tufts.edu
Becca Boulos is working with Dr. Economos on the Assessing and Preventing Obesity in New Immigrants grant. Becca's research interests are centered primarily around the influence of personality on health behavior, with a specific focus on obesity prevention through improved perceived efficacy. 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 George Washington University.
Erin Hennessy, MS, MPH
New Balance Fellow and Research Coordinator
erin.hennessy@tufts.edu
Erin Hennessy, MS, MPH, is currently a Doctoral Candidate at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. Ms. Hennessy holds masters' degrees from Tufts University in both nutrition communication and public health, as well as a certificate in community health. Over the past decade, she has worked on several research projects at the Friedman School, including the BONES Project, Shape Up Somerville, and the CHANGE study. Currently, she manages a grant funded by the Robert Wood Johnson's Active Living Research Program to develop two rural-specific built environment measures. Her doctoral thesis is focused on the role that parents play in the development of child eating and activity behaviors.
Mary Kennedy, MS
USDA Doctoral Fellow in Obesity
marya.kennedy@tufts.edu
Mary Kennedy has a bachelor's degree in clinical exercise physiology from Boston University and a master's degree in nutrition communication from Tufts University. In addition, she is certified as a Health Fitness Specialist by the American College of Sports Medicine.
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 received her doctorate in Nutritional Biochemistry and Metabolism from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and her Master of Public Health in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from the School of Medicine at Tufts University. She received her Bachelor of Science from Northeaster University in psychology. Her research interests focus on the prevention of obesity at early stages in life in community based settings and in ethnic minority populations.
Staff
Julia Bloom, MPH
Project Manager, CHANGE Study
julia.bloom@tufts.edu
Julia Bloom is the Project manager for the CHANGE Study, a randomized controlled trial investigating the application of the Shape Up Somerville intervention model in rural communities, with the goal of creating a replicable, evidenced-based environmental change model to prevent and reverse obesity in rural school-aged children. 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.
Valerie Clark, MS, RD
Research Assistant, Balance Project
valerie.clark@tufts.edu
Valerie Clark is a research assistant for the Balance project, a randomized controlled trial replicating the Shape Up Somerville intervention model in urban communities, with the goal of creating an evidenced-based environmental change model to prevent obesity in urban school-aged children. Valerie received her MS in nutrition from Case Western Reserve University and her BS in nutrition from Cornell University.
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.
Alia Hastings, MPH
Research Assistant, CHANGE Study
alia.hastings@tufts.edu
Alia Hastings is the Research Assistant for the CHANGE Study, a randomized controlled trial investigating the application of the Shape Up Somerville intervention model in rural communities, with the goal of creating a replicable, evidenced-based environmental change model to prevent and reverse obesity in rural school-aged children. Alia completed a five year combined degree BA/MPH program at Tufts University and the Tufts University School of Medicine in 2008. Alia's MPH concentration was Nutrition, while her undergraduate studies focused on community health and psychology.
Eleanor Heidkamp-Young, BA
Program Assistant, StrongWomen Program
eleanor.heidkamp_young@tufts.edu
Eleanor Heidkamp-Young is the administrative assistant to Dr. Miriam Nelson and provides program support for the StrongWomen Program, a community based strength training program for mid-life and older women. She graduated in May 2008 from Tufts University with a degree in international relations and studied comparative social policy at Oxford University 2003-2004.
Bridgid Junot, MPH
Project Manager, Balance Project
bridgid.junot@tufts.edu
Bridgid Junot oversees the Balance Project, a randomized controlled trial investigating the application of the Shape Up Somerville intervention model in six urban communities in the U.S. The goal of the project is to develop a replicable, evidenced-based environmental change model to prevent and reverse obesity in urban elementary school children. Bridgid received her MPH, concentrating in community health interventions and her BA in mass communications and journalism from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, NM.
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.
Julia Kuder, MA
Statistician
julia.kuder@tufts.edu
Julia Kuder is the statistician for the John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Obesity Prevention. She handles most of the data management and analysis for the center and contributes towards grant proposals and manuscripts for publication. Julia received her MA in statistics as a part of the combined BA/MA program at Boston University in 2006.
Vanessa Lynskey, BA
Program Assistant, Children in Balance
vanessa.Lynskey@tufts.edu
Vanessa Lynskey serves as the program assistant for Children in Balance, the umbrella initiative for childhood obesity prevention at the Friedman School, while also providing administrative support for Dr. Christina Economos. She received her BA in community health and American studies from Tufts University in 2009.
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.
Elizabeth Nahar, MSW, MBA
Program Director, Children in Balance
elizabeth.nahar@tufts.edu
Elizabeth K. Nahar, has served as Program Director for the Children in Balance childhood obesity prevention initiative at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy (Tufts University) since 2006. In her role as Program Director, Ms. Nahar stewards the dissemination efforts of tools and curricula from Children in Balance's research projects around the country. Working closely with Professor Christina Economos, she also oversees the strategic planning, positioning, fundraising and day-to-day operations of Children in Balance. Prior to joining Tufts, Ms. Nahar's commitment to family and community health led her to professional positions in family service organizations, youth leadership and community organizing programs. Ms. Nahar received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan in 1990, and her Master of Social Work and Master of Business Administration degrees from Boston College in 1997.
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.