Event Information

Micronutrient deficiencies are a leading global health issue, which results in poor child growth and development outcomes. One cause is inadequate intakes, but implementing mitigation strategies at scale remains a critical policy and programmatic challenge. In this webinar, we will explore research from Nepal and Uganda on micronutrients including vitamin A, iron, folate, and other B vitamins. We will assess the relationship between micronutrient deficiencies in mothers and children, and will discuss how evidence-based interventions and nutrition policy can help alleviate micronutrient malnutrition.

Moderator:
 

Shawn K. Baker- Shawn Baker is the Chief Nutritionist for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), where he chairs the Agency’s Nutrition Leadership Council and oversees the vision and strategy of the Agency’s Center for Nutrition in the Bureau for Resilience and Food Security. Prior to joining USAID, Mr. Baker was the first Director of Nutrition at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the former Vice President and Regional Director for Africa at Helen Keller International. He has served on committees and advisory groups including the Technical Review Panel for The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis, the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement, and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition. Mr. Baker has a master’s of public health from Tulane University, with concentrations in international health and nutritional epidemiology. He earned his bachelor’s of science degree in biology from the University of Miami and has over 30 years of experience in global public health nutrition.

Panelists: 
 

Andrew Thorne-Lyman- Dr. Andrew Thorne-Lyman is an Associate Scientist and Nutrition Epidemiologist in the Center for Human Nutrition at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. His research explores links between food systems, diets, and nutrition and health outcomes, and the development and validation of indicators to measure the effectiveness of nutrition programs. He has a doctoral degree in nutrition from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a master’s degree in health science from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Lynne Ausman- Dr. Lynne Ausman is the Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi Professor in International Nutrition and the director of the Master of Nutrition Science and Policy program at the Friedman School, Tufts University. She is also a Fellow in the American Society of Nutrition and is a Registered Dietitian. Dr. Ausman is trained as a nutritional biochemist, with teaching and research interests in chronic disease and nutrition.

Omar Dary- Dr. Omar Dary has been a Nutrition Science Specialist of the Bureau for Global Health at USAID since 2007 and has worked in public health nutrition for 30 years. He has a BS in Biology and a PhD in Biochemistry, and has served as an advisor to WHO, UNICEF, FAO, WFP, IAEA, PAHO, the CDC, ILSI, MI, GAIN, and SUSTAIN, mainly in the area of micronutrient surveillance and micronutrient interventions. He is a member of the International Zinc Nutrition Consultative Group (IZiNCG), the Technical Advisory Group for Micronutrient Data project of the Micronutrient Forum, and, previously, the Steering Committees of the Micronutrient Forum, the International Vitamin A Consultative Group (IVACG), and the Iodine Global Network (IGN).