New HSO member: Leah Rosen

Hello everyone, my name is Leah Rosen. I grew up in France but also have roots in the United States. I graduated from a double master's degree at Wageningen University in Nutrition & Health and Communication, Health & Life Sciences with a specialization in Health and Society. During my studies, I took a particular interest in health promotion and food habits which is why I decided to explore life stories from healthy eaters for my first thesis. This process comforted me in pursuing a career in nutrition research with a social science perspective. I went to Vietnam for my minor thesis and worked on a project in collaboration with the Hanoi Medical university and CGIAR to increase fruit and vegetable intake in low-socio economic populations. I loved living in Hanoi and learned a lot from working in a different cultural setting. After this, I did an internship at World Fish, a CGIAR research center focused on improving fisheries to reduce poverty and hunger in developing countries. 

I am going to work as a junior researcher as part of the SU-Eatable EU Life project under the supervision of Laura Bouwman. The project focuses on implementing and stimulating more sustainable eating habits in cafeterias in Italy and the UK. We are four partners working on the project in three different countries which can be challenging at times but also very rewarding. It’s an exciting project which combines practice and research. The intervention includes more sustainable meals in canteens but also fun challenges on a dedicated phone application platform. The current situation has forced us to be extra creative and think of ways to foster engagement outside the cafeteria setting.  

In my free time, I love to dance salsa, play guitar, sing, and do yoga. I also love traveling and learning about new cultures. Cooking simple, healthy, and tasty meals is something I truly enjoy doing -sharing a meal is a great way to connect with people from all over the world.