Healthy Eating & Food Policy Research Annual Meeting & Early-Stage Investigator Workshop

Healthy Eating & Food Policy Research (formerly Healthy Eating Research) Annual Meeting & Early-Stage Investigator Workshop • April 20–22, 2026, Chicago, IL  

 
Attendees: Chief Executive Officer Dr. Amy Yaroch, Director of Scientific Strategy Dr. Carmen Byker Shanks, Senior Research Scientist Dr. Betsy Anderson Steeves, and Research Scientist Dr. Miguel Ángel López  

Overview:  
Several CNHI team members attended the inaugural Healthy Eating & Food Policy Research Meeting, co-hosted by Healthy Eating Research (HER) and the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Food Policy Research Program. The meeting convened researchers and practitioners advancing nutrition policy and food systems research, with a focus on improving population health and advancing health equity. CNHI staff contributed through leadership roles, participation as grantees, and authorship on presented research, including work focused on nutrition incentive programs, food access, and strategies to improve diet quality and health outcomes.  

Dr. Byker Shanks presented in the session “SNAP Forward: Expanding Nutrition Access,” sharing research on the impact of nutrition incentive programs on fruit and vegetable intake and diet quality. Dr. Yaroch facilitated a session on food and beverage marketing in the digital age. She also serves as a member of the University of Illinois Chicago/Bloomberg Food Policy Research Program Evaluation Advisory Committee (EAC), contributing expertise to guide research priorities, review study proposals, and support the development and dissemination of evidence to inform national nutrition policy. 

Dr. Ángel López at his poster presentation.