Larissa Calancie

Larissa Calancie, PhD, is a Research Assistant Professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. Dr. Calancie leads and supports research within ChildObesity180 that focuses on obesity prevention and improving food systems through cross-sector collaboration and systems science. Her research aims to eliminate nutrition-related health disparities across the life course and to investigate how organizations and collaborative groups, such as coalitions and Food Policy Councils, can support healthy, sustainable communities. She employs qualitative and quantitative methods to better understand and address complex nutrition and public health challenges.

Dr. Calancie completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for Health Equity Research in the School of Medicine at UNC Chapel Hill. She holds a PhD in Nutrition from the Gillings School of Global Public Health at UNC. Prior to beginning graduate work, Dr. Calancie worked in a nutrition biochemistry lab at Columbia University and gained hands-on agricultural experience by working on farms in France, Italy, and Turkey.