Our Research
Principal Investigator: William Dietz, MD, PhD
Co-Investigator: Uriyoán Colón-Ramos, ScD, MPA
Collaborators: Daniel Chen, DrPH; Caitlin Grady, PhD
This GFI-led research project, funded by the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, collaborates with DC Central Kitchen (DCCK) and Partnership for a Healthier America to evaluate DCCK’s Healthy Corners program, a leading national model to advance healthier food choices in urban corner stores.
GFI supports and conducts research that examines the food system from global, domestic, and local perspectives. The following projects are funded by the institute’s pilot grant program and led by GFI affiliate faculty and staff or are led by GFI directly.
Data-Driven Insights to Address Food Insecurity Among College Students
Principal Investigator: Gabby Headrick, PhD, MSPH, RDN
Co-Investigator: Jennifer Sacheck, PhD
Other members of the research team: Andrew Sonn, Ed.D
Preventing Postharvest Loss Through Solar-Powered Cold Storage Innovation
Research Team: Moses Mosonsieyiri Kansanga, PhD MPhil; Robert Orttung, PhD MA; and David Rain, PhD
Principal Investigator: Allison Sylvetsky, PhD
Co-Investigators: William (Doug) Evans, PhD; Jennifer Sacheck PhD; and Nia Bodrick MD
Consultant: James Krieger, MD MPH (University of Washington)
Assessing Impacts of Private Investments in Transforming Smallholder Farming
Principal Investigator: Samuel Ledermann, PhD
Co-PI: Michael Mann, PhD MA
Congratulations to the Milken Institute School of Public Health's students and staff who were recognized with Global Food Institute prizes for their outstanding research at the GWSPH Research Day 2025!
How School Meals Can Help Change the Climate
This article highlights the broad benefits of universal school meals and emphasizes a lesser-known but powerful opportunity: using school food procurement policies to improve both public health and climate outcomes. Authors: William H. Dietz and Sydney Pryor.
Study explores Ghanaian farmers' willingness to adopt solar-powered cold storage, analyzing economic, perceptual, and contextual adoption factors. Authors: Moses Kansanga, Lalitha Shanmugasundaram, Samuel Ledermann, David Rain.
A collaborative report from the Global Food Institute and James Beard Foundation on the immediate threats that climate change poses to independent restaurants, their employees, and the farmers who supply them.
Mitigation of the U.S. agrifood sector’s contribution to human and planetary health: a case study
Authored by William H. Dietz, MD, PhD and Jessica Fanzo
Authored by: Rachel G. Clark, JD, Sydney Pryor, MPH, and William H. Dietz, MD, PhD
