Zach Conrad

Associate Professor

Office:: 109
Phone:: 757-221-2037
Email:: [[zsconrad]]

Area of Specialization:

Nutritional epidemiology and food systems

Background:

Dr. Conrad's research combines methods from data science, nutritional epidemiology, and food systems science to examine the complex interactions between diet quality, environmental sustainability, and affordability. Specifically, his research focuses on how population-level dietary changes affect cardiometabolic disease, greenhouse gas emissions, natural resource use, sustainable food production, and diet cost. He is the primary investigator for several research projects that address these issues at the local, regional, and national levels.

Education and Training:

Postdoctoral Research Scientist, US Department of Agriculture, 2016-2019
Postdoctoral Scholar, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, 2015-2016
PhD, Nutrition and Food Systems, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, 2015
MS, Public Health and Food Systems, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, 2010
MPH, Nutrition, School of Medicine, Tufts University, 2010
BA, Biology and Anthropology, Human Health and Food Systems, Trent University, 2007

Courses Taught:

Basic Science of Nutrition (KINE 350)
Nutrition in Health and Disease (KINE 354)
Nutrition Across the Lifecycle (KINE 357)
Population Nutrition, Policy, and Programs (KINE 361)
Sustainable Food Systems and Diets (KINE 362)

Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications:

*Student co-author

Drewnowski, Adam; Zavela, Catherine*; Tran, Vanessa; Mallya, Greeshma; Conrad, Zach. (2025). Pulse consumption trends in the US in the context of 2025-30 Dietary Guidelines for Americans: Analyses of NHANES data for 1999-2018. Frontiers in Nutrition (In Press).
Rodríguez-Huerta, Edgar; Bell, Brooke M.; Battaglia, Kyra; Sparks, Jessica L. Decker; Benoit Norris, Catherine; Sofia Marquez, Alejandra; Conrad, Zach; Matteson, Julia; Jackson, Bethany; Blackstone, Nicole Tichenor. (2025). The human cost of current and recommended diets in the US. Nature Food (In Press).
Conrad, Zach; Leu, Matthias; Fulcher, Eli;* Wu, Songze;* DiStaso, Chloe;* Boston, Juan; Peterson, Tomalita; Roach, Beth; Tupponce, Tommy; Phillips, Jessica;. Wiipongwii, Troy. (2025). Exploring the crop suitability of first-contact tribal lands in the eastern United States: impacts of past and near-future climate conditions. Scientific Reports (In Press).
Love; David C.; Conrad, Zach; Altema-Johnson, Daphene; Ramsing, Rebecca; Bassarab, Karen; Thorne-Lyman, Andrew L; Williams, D’Ann; Moore, E.R.H.; Nussbaumer, Elizabeth M; Truant Anderson, Patti. (2025). Food substitution and waste reduction can reduce the environmental impacts and food costs of school meal programs in the United States: A 2011-2018 NHANES Analysis. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 22:S2212-2672.
Conrad, Zach; Repoulis, Vincent;* Zavela, Catherine.* (2025). Modeled sustainability impacts of increasing pork consumption among adults in the United States. Frontiers in Nutrition, 17:1508601
Conrad, Zach; Thorne-Lyman, Andrew L.; Wu, Songze;* DiStaso, Chloe;* Korol, Madison;* Love, David C. (2025). Are healthier diets more sustainable? A cross-sectional assessment of 8 diet quality indexes and 7 sustainability metrics. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 121:315-323.