Alison Brown, MS is the Project Research Manager at the New Jersey Health Kids Initiative (NJHKI), located within the Institute for Food, Nutrition, & Health at Rutgers University. She holds a Master of Science degree in Community Nutrition from Rutgers University and is a credentialed Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. Her thesis work focused on implementing a nutrition social marketing campaign in laundromats. In this non-traditional environment, limited resource populations may have time to spare and are potentially receptive to educational messages. She has held various positions within the field of nutrition, but her current research interests lie within the intersection of nutrition with public health through community-based participatory research. Before working with NJHKI, Alison worked within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) in promoting nutrition education, improving food security, and fostering healthy lifestyles among individuals and communities who are eligible for SNAP benefits (formerly known as food stamps). She uses her experience working with under-resourced populations at NJHKI to perform research and design nutrition/holistic health curricula and programs that advance health equity and foster healthy lifestyles among New Jersey children and their families. Alison is committed to contributing to the fields of public health and nutrition and has presented her research and curricula locally and nationally (Food Nutrition Conference and Expo)
Dr. Erin Comollo is a Program Development Administrator at the New Jersey Healthy Kids Initiative (NJHKI), a community participatory program in The Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health at Rutgers University dedicated to improving the health and well-being of children and families. She is a scholar-practitioner passionate about promoting child health through fitness and nutrition education. In addition to teaching an undergraduate course on the intersection of social justice and food systems, Erin’s research interests include food literacy education and youth community functional fitness programs. Her doctoral dissertation study focused on the outcomes of introducing and implementing a teacher professional development program within a school. She is also a Certified CrossFit Trainer (CFFT-L3) with a CrossFit Kids certification and a Precision Nutrition Level 1 certified nutrition coach. Erin is committed to working with academics and practitioners to advance the science and practice of child health promotion. She frequently speaks at academic conferences, including the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior and the American School Health Association.
Daniel Hoffman
Co- PI, NJHKI and Director, IFNH Center for Childhood Nutrition Education & Research
848-932-0272
dhoffman@sebs.rutgers.edu
Co- PI, NJHKI and Director, IFNH Center for Childhood Nutrition Education & Research
848-932-0272
dhoffman@sebs.rutgers.edu
Daniel Hoffman is an Associate Professor of Nutritional Sciences at Rutgers University and the Director of the Center for Childhood Nutrition Education and Research who studies the long-term effects of poor growth on later health with research projects in Brazil, Mexico, and Kenya. Daniel has received research funding from the NIH, USDA, and USAID to conduct research on a number of aspects related to diet and growth and metabolism in children. Daniel is an author of numerous papers and chapters on energy metabolism, body composition, and pediatric nutrition as well as the Co-Executive Editor of Appetite and Deputy Editor of the British Journal of Nutrition. In addition, Daniel is an expert consultant to the International Atomic Energy Agency of the United Nations where he provides advising on nutrition-related projects using stable isotopes. Daniel received his PhD in Nutritional Biochemistry and Physiology from the Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and completed post-doctoral training at Columbia University before joining the faculty at Rutgers in 2001.
Peggy Policastro
Nutritionist, Rutgers Dining Services and Director, IFNH Culinary Health Program
848-932-5477
peggyp@rutgers.edu
Nutritionist, Rutgers Dining Services and Director, IFNH Culinary Health Program
848-932-5477
peggyp@rutgers.edu
Dr. Peggy Policastro is a Registered Dietitian and the Director of Nutrition and Culinary Literacy for the New Jersey Heathy Kids Initiative and Director of Nutrition for Rutgers Dining Services. She also holds a Ph.D. in interdisciplinary studies-Nutritional Science and Psychology from Rutgers University. Dr. Policastro’s research focuses on the use of behavioral economics to nudge people towards healthier food choices. She believes that making a healthy food choice the easiest/most salient option is the most effective way to encourage behavior change. Dr. Policastro has used the various dining facilities as living laboratories to harness behavior change. In addition, she has mentored hundreds of students on research projects investigating dietary habits of children, adolescents, and college students. Her research findings have shown that simple interventions, such as posting calorie messages about sugary drinks, can lead to significant increases in water sales. She has also shown that using smaller portion sizes for unhealthy foods can lead to reductions in calorie intake. Dr. Policastro’s work has had a major impact on the field of behavioral nutrition. Her research has been published in top academic journals and has been featured in major media outlets. She has also received numerous awards for her work, including the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Nutrition Educator of the Year award and as Research Chair for the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative. Dr. Policastro is a passionate advocate for healthy eating and is committed to translating her research findings into practice. She is an asset to the field of community participatory research.
Faith Qualshie is the Program Coordinator for the New Jersey Healthy Kids Initiative (NJHKI) in the Institute for Food, Nutrition, & Health at Rutgers University. As a former public school counselor, she has spent a decade providing youth and families with resources that promote academic, social, and emotional health. As an adult, Faith developed a passion for physical fitness through her involvement in competitive Olympic Weightlifting and discovered the importance of nutrition and sleep for adequate recovery and performance in her sport. She believes nutritional and physical literacies are fundamental to healthy child development and self-actualization. Faith holds a Master’s degree in Counseling from Kean University, Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Rutgers University, and CrossFit Level 2 Trainer certificate. Faith is excited to be a part of NJHKI to combine her background in education and psychology with her passion for physical and nutritional health.
Arnold Rabson
Co-PI, NJHKI and Director, Child Health Institute of New Jersey
732-235-9523
rabsonab@rwjms.rutgers.edu
Co-PI, NJHKI and Director, Child Health Institute of New Jersey
732-235-9523
rabsonab@rwjms.rutgers.edu
Dr. Arnold Rabson is the Director of the Child Health Institute of New Jersey (CHINJ) and co-Principal Investigator for the NJHKI. Arnold has an M.D. from Brown University, and obtained residency training from Harvard and research training at the National Institutes of Health. Arnold has had a long and productive career as a research scientist and a scientific administrator. His research group has made major discoveries in diverse research areas such as the molecular basis of HIV/AIDS progression, altered gene regulation in cancer and fundamental pathways in growth and development. He has also served as the Deputy Director of the Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Senior Associate Dean for Research prior to his current position at CHINJ. Arnold is excited by the tremendous potential of the NJHKI to reveal novel biomarkers of healthy childhood growth and development and to study the fundamental pathways critical for this development.
NJHKI Interns
NJHKI is committed to Rutgers-New Brunswick’s Academic Master Plan through our community engagement and dedication to student success. Our internship and Student Ambassador program aims to provide practical professional and service-learning experiences relating to health-promoting program development, implementation, evaluation, and transdisciplinary, translational research. NJHKI has provided over 50 Rutgers undergraduate and graduate students with internships, practicums, capstones, and professional practice experiences in the last five years. Meet our current student intern team!
Jenna DeSimone
Jenna DeSimone is a senior at the Rutgers University Honors College and is currently enrolled in the Accelerated BS/MPH program. She is majoring in public health, minoring in psychology, and working towards a concentration in epidemiology at the Rutgers School of Public Health. As Jenna has entered academia, the concern of health disparities has become far more apparent, and especially more important when the pandemic exacerbated many pre-existing disparities. She hopes to focus on chronic illnesses and the impact of early intervention to minimize one’s risk of becoming ill. Jenna has specific interests in detecting the relation between early intervention and disease through statistics and data analysis. In addition to working in the community as an NJHKI intern, Jenna is also working with the Institute of Food, Health, and Nutrition (IFNH) as a student ambassador.
Anjali Patel
Anjali Patel is a fourth-year student double-majoring in Public Health and Cell Biology and Neuroscience. During her time at Rutgers, she has worked as a research assistant at the Rutgers Neuropsychology Laboratory, is a peer mentor through the Cell Biology and Neuroscience Society, and is a member of the Voices of Diversity Student Advisory Board. She plans to pursue a career as a physician and hopes to integrate her public health training into patient care. Through the New Jersey Healthy Kids Initiative, she aims to promote healthy habits in kids starting from a young age, with the hope that a healthy lifestyle will follow them into adulthood. Outside of school, she enjoys reading, spending time with her family, cooking new recipes, and discovering new music.
Emily Zhivotovski
Emily Zhivotovski is a senior at the Rutgers University Honors College, working on her capstone project with the New Jersey Healthy Kids Initiative (NJHKI). She is majoring in Cell Biology and Neuroscience with a minor in Health and Society and is passionate about addressing food insecurity around the Rutgers community. Combining her previous research knowledge with her interest in public health, Emily is excited to analyze the cross sectional determinants that influence nutritional health. She hopes to continue her community service by improving healthcare literacy in adolescents and engaging with students to help build healthy eating habits focused on proper nutrition.
