Public Health Nutrition Research Network hosts food security symposium

The symposium was an opportunity for participants from various health sectors to actively engage with each other and with invited speakers to help define priorities and directions in research, policy and practice in the field of public health nutrition.

Invited speakers Naomi Shanks, Provincial Public Health Nutrition Consultant with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health and Melanie Warken, Public Health Nutritionist with the Five Hills Health Region presented "Sharing Experiences: Public Health Nutrition in Saskatchewan." This focused on the most recent and current public health nutrition projects in the province. Key note speaker Dr. Valerie Tarasuk lead a discussion on Food Security and Food Equity in Saskatchewan. In this discussion additional potential uses for the data presented and plans to efficiently study food security and food equity issues in Saskatchewan were suggested.

The event hosted and sponsored by the University of Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, and SHRF helped to form and demonstrate successful collaborations between public health nutritionists working in the community and the university, various levels of government, and varying disciplines. Additionally the event helped to bring together the stakeholders in deciding the future direction of the network.

Initiated at the University of Saskatchewan in 2011, the Public Health Nutrition Research Network is a team of researchers and public health professionals with a mission to improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities by: Fostering a better understanding of the causes and determinants of nutrition issues through cross-disciplinary and collaborative public health nutrition research. The current committee includes Dr. Hassan Vatanparast as chair, Dr. Susan Whiting, Dr. Carol Henry, Dr. Shawna Berenbaum, Dr. Rachel Engler-Stringer, and Naomi Shanks; with Sarah Finch as the project manager.

If you have any questions about the network please visit our website at http://www.usask.ca/phnr/ or contact the network chair Dr. Hassan Vatanparast at vatan.h@usask.ca.