September 19, 2022 —
Leslie Redmond joined the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences as Assistant Professor in Food, Culture and Health on July 1, 2022. Leslie pursued her research within the United States, and involves us from the University of Alaska the place she was an assistant professor in dietetics and diet. Leslie shared how a summer season internship made her notice that she wished to work straight with minoritized communities to assist overcome obstacles to good well being and diet.
Tell us about your self
I’ve a Bachelor of Science in Food Science from Clemson University in South Carolina and accomplished a dietetic internship on the University of Alaska Anchorage. After turning into a registered dietitian nutritionist, I continued my research at James Madison University in Virginia the place I earned a Master of Science in train physiology and Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore the place I acquired a PhD in diet. I labored as Nutrition Communications Specialist for the California Strawberry Commission earlier than returning to the University of Alaska as an assistant professor in dietetics and diet. My analysis is concentrated on public well being diet, particularly the prevention of persistent illness in minoritized populations by means of culturally-appropriate and community-centered interventions, and I’m excited to proceed this work right here on the University of Manitoba.
Why did you get into this space of examine?
As an undergraduate scholar, I accomplished a summer season internship in rural Alaska that set the trajectory for my complete profession. Before the internship, I simply knew that I appreciated meals and was occupied with how diet may affect well being. After the internship, I knew that I wished to work straight with minoritized communities to assist overcome obstacles to good well being and diet. I additionally describe my PhD program as the place “the rubber met the street” – in different phrases, it was the place the whole lot got here collectively and I spotted how a lot potential there may be for public well being diet to make an affect on the inhabitants degree.
What are you in search of to discover along with your analysis?
I’m occupied with how we will create environments that assist well being for all folks, and I’ve two essential instructions for my analysis. First, I need to discover environmental elements that contribute to persistent illness in Indigenous populations and perceive how we will promote diet, bodily exercise, conventional information, and cultural strengths for prevention. Second, I need to examine the prevalence of meals insecurity amongst college students at UM and develop methods for growing meals availability whereas contemplating the distinctive experiences of the culturally various scholar inhabitants.
What appeals to you about being a instructor?
I might be instructing programs associated to meals tradition and diet throughout the lifespan. Nutrition is a topic that impacts everybody it doesn’t matter what your background, tradition, life expertise, and so forth. If you eat meals, then diet impacts you! I really like working with college students and inspiring them to search out their very own private reference to the fabric even when they find yourself doing one thing fully totally different of their careers. If I can encourage them to search out the identical ardour for the topic that I’ve alongside the best way, even higher!
And what do you love to do in your spare time?
I’m new to Winnipeg, so I prefer to get out and discover town with my husband in my spare time. I really like being exterior, and whereas I miss the midnight solar of Alaska, I do respect with the ability to benefit from the open air with out having to fret about bear and moose encounters. I additionally maintain busy with CrossFit, soccer, studying, and baking.
https://news.umanitoba.ca/supporting-public-health-nutrition-for-all-the-goal-of-new-professor/
