Advancing Nutrition Policy and Behaviour Change for Chronic Disease Prevention
June 9, 2026 | 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
Date: Tuesday, June 9, 2026
Time: 12:00 - 13:00 ET (12:00pm - 1:00pm ET)
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2026 Young Investigator Award for Outstanding Research Lecture: "What Kindergarten Got Right: Lessons in Advancing Nutrition Policy and Behaviour Change"
Speaker: JoAnne Arcand, PhD, RD (Ontario Tech University)
Webinar description: This webinar will reflect on the development of a research program in public health nutrition guided by principles such as mentorship, strategic risk-taking, collaboration, co-design, knowledge mobilization, and capacity-building. Through examples spanning cardiovascular nutrition, dietary sodium reduction, nutrition policy, and digital health interventions, I will discuss how my research integrates behavioural science, implementation science, and interdisciplinary partnerships to improve diet quality and chronic disease prevention across clinical and population health settings. Examples will include the development and evaluation of scalable digital nutrition interventions, as well as national and international research examining nutrition behaviours and supporting dietary behaviour change. Finally, I will reflect on the role of mentorship and training in building research capacity and scientific impact.
Moderator: To be determined
About the Speaker:
JoAnne Arcand, PhD, RD is a Registered Dietitian and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Ontario Tech University. Her research evaluates policies, programs, and interventions for chronic disease prevention while also examining behavioural determinants of diet at the individual and population level. Her work also utilizes behavioural science, implementation science, and digital health approaches to translate nutrition evidence into effective clinical and public health interventions. Dr. Arcand is internationally recognized for her leadership in dietary sodium reduction and cardiovascular disease prevention and management. Her research has informed national and international sodium reduction initiatives, contributed to Canada’s ban on industrial trans fats, and supported improvements to food procurement policies in health care settings. She has also held leadership roles in global sodium reduction initiatives with the World Health Organization, the Pan American Health Organization and the World Hypertension League. She has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and numerous technical reports for governments and non-governmental organizations. Dr. Arcand is a former Heart & Stroke Foundation National New Investigator, and her research excellence has also been previously recognized by awards from the World Hypertension League, CIHR, Hypertension Canada, and the Government of Ontario.
Thank you to Abbot for supporting the Young Investigator Award for Outstanding Research
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