@ the Center for Health Innovation, Research, and Policy (CHIRP)
Innovative & translational school nutrition research to improve the nutrition, wellbeing, and academic performance of children
The NOURISH Lab is an school nutrition research lab within the Center for Health Innovation, Research, and Policy (CHIRP) in the School of Health Sciences at Merrimack College. We evaluate novel school-based interventions and policies to improve children's nutrition, wellbeing, and academic outcomes. Our research is supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and several foundations.
About Us
Established in 2015, the NOURISH Lab is led by Dr. Juliana Cohen, Professor of Nutrition and Public Health at Merrimack College and Adjunct Professor of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The NOURISH team includes Tara Daly (Assistant Director), Ashley Kesack (Project Manager), and Leah Chapman (Research Scientist).
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The NOURISH Lab's research centers on the identification, evaluation, and dissemination of effective school nutrition policies and initiatives to address diet-related disparities, reduce the risk of obesity, and improve academic outcomes among children. This research examines innovative strategies to encourage the consumption of healthier school foods, the impact of school-based nutrition policies on children’s consumption of school meals, competitive foods (e.g., vending and à la carte snacks), and ultra-processed foods, and the impact on cognitive functioning. NOURISH Lab’s school-based research is currently cited on multiple USDA websites, has been used by the U.S. Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) to develop recommendations for school meal policies, and was cited as evidence for the United States Department of Agriculture’s updated school meal standards. The NOURISH Lab’s findings have been featured in media outlets including the Boston Globe, New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, TIME, National Public Radio (NPR), Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and on Good Morning America. NOURISH Lab research is supported by multiple grants from the National Institutes of Health and several foundations.