
Zach Conrad
Assistant 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
- Basak Tukun, Avonti; Rowe, Sarah;* Johnson, LuAnn K; Love, David C; Belury, Martha; Conrad, Zach. (2023). Micronutrient intake from three popular diet patterns in the United States: modeled replacement of foods highest in added sugar and sodium using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2005-2018. Frontiers in Nutrition (accepted).
- Conrad, Zach; Drewnowski, Adam; Love, David C. (2023). Greater adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is associated with lower diet-related greenhouse gas emissions but higher costs. Frontiers in Nutrition, 10: 1220016.
- Conrad, Zach; Drewnowski, Adam; Belury, Martha A; Love, David C. (2023). Greenhouse gas emissions, cost, and diet quality of specific diet patterns in the United States. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 117: 1186-1194.
- Dustin, Dakota; Kowalski, Corina*; Salesses, Meredith*; McDowell, Acree*; Kris-Etherton, Penny; Belury, Martha; Conrad, Zach. (2023). Carbohydrate intakes below recommendations with a high intake of fat are associated with higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 123: 1022-1032.
- Love, David C.; Asche, Frank; Gephart, Jessica A; Zhu, Jiafeng; Garlock, Taryn; Stoll, Joshua S.; Anderson, James; Conrad, Zach; Nussbaumer, Elizabeth M; Thorne-Lyman, Andrew L; Bloem, Martin W. (2023). Identifying opportunities for aligning production and consumption in United States fisheries by considering seasonality. Reviews in Fisheries Science and Aquaculture, 31: 259-273.