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Jun 25, 2025

Dean Lisa Robinson Visits Nutrition Intervention Center, Applauds Innovative Work at the Intersection of Medicine, Nutrition, and Community Health

deans tour

On 25, June 2025, the Department of Nutritional Sciences welcomed Dr. Lisa Robinson, Dean of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto for a special tour of the Nutrition Intervention Centre (NIC), highlighting the Centre’s cutting-edge facilities, interdisciplinary research, and integration into teaching and training.

The NIC stands as a unique platform for evidence-based, non-therapeutic dietary interventions, supporting both healthy community members and populations at risk. Unlike hospital-based models, the NIC fosters cross-disciplinary collaborations across research themes and faculties, driving innovation in public health nutrition, appetite control, and chronic disease risk reduction.

During the tour, the Dean engaged with faculty and trainees across multiple research programs:

  • Anderson Lab: Investigating the effects of foods and food components on appetite and metabolic control in children and adults at risk of chronic disease.

  • O’Connor Lab: Leading clinical trials such as MaxiMoM and OptiMoM Grows Up, examining the impact of mothers’ milk fortification and early-life nutrition on growth, brain development, and long-term health outcomes.

  • Chiavaroli Lab: Running the SWITCH Trial, testing innovative dietary strategies like DASH-enhanced Portfolio diets and ultra-processed versus minimally processed soy foods for cardiometabolic risk reduction.

  • Miliku Lab: Exploring life course determinants of cardiovascular health, from preconception through childhood, with a focus on nutrition literacy and dietary patterns in children.

The NIC also plays a vital role in student training, with Applied Human Nutrition courses making use of the Centre’s food science and food systems management labs. Students gain hands-on experience in microbial testing, food preservation, menu preparation, and sensory analysis.

Reflecting on the visit, the Dean emphasized how the NIC exemplifies “decades of departmental vision, innovation, and resilience—transforming nutrition science into action.”

The Department extends its thanks to all faculty, staff, students, and collaborators who contribute to the NIC’s ongoing success in advancing research, teaching, and public health impact.