Nourished Children, Families, and Communities

Innovations and Interventions for Lifelong Health

At the Friedman School, research extends beyond the lab and touches the lives of people locally, nationally, and internationally. We focus on creating long-term solutions to establish communities and environments in which people can thrive. From teaching children about healthy food and physical activity and empowering families to advocate for healthier environments, to encouraging innovative food production techniques abroad, we know how to successfully bring effective, evidence-based programs to scale. 

News and Media

Associated Goals

Goal I: Reduce the double burdens of hunger and obesity in the United States and internationally.

Recruit new faculty with expertise in global chronic disease and global nutrition.

Build capacity and expertise around innovative metrics for assessing global issues central to food security and obesity.

Leverage our research and advocacy work to engage with governments, NGOs, and the media to achieve change.

Goal II: Reduce nutrition-related health inequities.

Recruit new faculty with expertise in health disparities and health inequities.

Leverage novel technologies to reduce nutrition-related health disparities.

Promote research and advocacy efforts that focus on urban food issues, taking advantage of our downtown Boston location, urban-based agriculture, food, and environment work, urban school and worksite wellness research, and the global work of the Feinstein International Center.

Goal III: Unite research and interventions that focus on families, households, and communities.

Bring together the complementary expertise of the Friedman School, HNRCA, and Feinstein International Center faculty to catalyze new projects across different ages, populations, and community settings.

Establish expertise in innovative methodology in multigenerational work.

Expand expertise in community-based participatory research.

Goal IV: Expand our leadership in the science and practice of scale.

Establish resources to allow faculty to leverage funding streams that support scaling work.

Encourage cross-collaboration and sharing of experiences and knowledge among researchers around scaling efforts, for instance, in global hunger, childhood obesity, and longevity and vitality.

Cultivate expertise in the science of scale through hiring new faculty or providing special grants.

Goal V: Integrate principles of social justice, inclusion, and diversity in the School's teaching, research, student experiences, partnerships, and advocacy.

Actively promote a culture of social justice, equity, and advocacy among faculty, staff, and students.

Identify academic and social support systems that serve the unique needs of diverse student populations.

Enhance expertise and capacity for communicating with racially, culturally, socioeconomically, and geographically diverse audiences.

Continue to support research and advocacy work focused on those in greatest need.

Goal VI: Catalyze interdisciplinary, collaborative, and translational science.

Promote, support, and reward interdisciplinary collaborations across biological and human sciences within the Friedman School, HNRCA, other Tufts schools, and beyond.

Develop a network of expert partners outside Tufts to catalyze interdisciplinary, translational projects.

Build faculty capacity to work in interdisciplinary teams to be competitive in pursuing multidisciplinary funding opportunities.

Enhance resources specifically dedicated to the translation of research, including funds, partnerships, incentives to researchers, and staff time.

Expert Faculty

Sean B. Cash

Sean B. Cash

Associate Professor

Virginia R. Chomitz

Virginia R. Chomitz

Associate Professor, Secondary Faculty

Virginia R. Chomitz

Virginia R. Chomitz

Associate Professor, Secondary Faculty

Christina Economos

Christina Economos

Dean, Professor

Christina Economos

Christina Economos

Dean, Professor

Sara C. Folta

Sara C. Folta

Associate Professor

Jeanne Goldberg

Jeanne Goldberg

Professor Emerita, Professor of Nutrition Emerita

Jeanne Goldberg

Jeanne Goldberg

Professor Emerita, Professor of Nutrition Emerita

Erin Hennessy

Erin Hennessy

Associate Professor

Susan Roberts

Susan Roberts

Adjunct Professor

Jennifer Sacheck

Jennifer Sacheck

Adjunct Professor

Edward Saltzman

Edward Saltzman

Associate Professor