Jayna M. Dave Lab

The goal of Dave Lab is to advance research on obesity and chronic disease prevention by bringing about meaningful and pragmatic socio-environmental changes.

The research conducted in Dave Lab focuses on three broad themes:

• Utilizing community-engaged approaches to population health, including the design, implementation, and evaluation of interventions that address environmental, behavioral, and psychosocial factors contributing to obesity and diet-related chronic diseases in various settings, such as preschool, schools, and family, healthcare and community-based settings.
• Examining factors influencing food and nutrition insecurity, hunger, and economic conditions related to nutrition and diet-related chronic diseases, with a strong emphasis on Food is Medicine (FIM) strategies that integrate healthy food access into clinical care.
• Investigating the impact of food assistance programs on nutrition and health outcomes.

Dave Lab utilizes qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research to incorporate the complexities of real-world practice and generate meaningful insights for obesity and chronic disease prevention. The findings inform clinical and community members, and most importantly, individuals directly affected by improving clinical and community-based practices, including researchers, clinicians, community organizations, and families.