Racism in Dietetics

Eric is a Chinese-Canadian settler in Toronto, a city covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. He holds the position of Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, and is the Associate Director of the MPH Nutrition & Dietetics Program at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. Additionally, he is a registered dietitian and a PhD Candidate in Policy Studies at Toronto Metropolitan University. Eric has diverse experience in public health, mental health promotion, health equity, and dietetic education. His teaching and research center on the intersection of health professionals with political systems, and ways to address social inequities in health in everyday practice.

Dr. Riediger is a white, settler and Associate Professor in the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences at the University of Manitoba. Her expertise is in the areas of food security, health equity, and Indigenous health. Much of her research is community-based and in partnership with Indigenous communities. She utilizes mixed methods to answer applied research questions. Dr. Riediger has also conducted research related to dietetics education and equity, diversity, and inclusion within the nutrition and dietetics fields.

Maude is a white settler, currently working in Tiohtià:ke. She is an assistant professor at the Université de Montréal and a researcher at the Centre Jean-Jacques-Gauthier, CIUSSS Nord-de-l’Île-de-Montréal. Her research interests are centered around professional practice in dietetics, specifically how to diversify the profession, disrupt racism, and better support dietetics students to envision a socially just practice.

Anisha Mahajan (SHE/HER/HERS)

RD, PhD

Dr. Anisha Mahajan (she/her) is an Assistant Professor in the Nutrition Division in the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition at the University of Saskatchewan. She has worked as a Registered Dietitian for over 15 years in healthcare and as a Certified Diabetes Educator for 8 years in Ontario. She completed her Postdoctoral research at Ontario Tech University (Ontario) and University of Guelph (Ontario) and here she examined paid partnership disclosures in the social media by dietitians and sodium intake in young children respectively. She obtained her PhD in Human Health Sciences at the University of Guelph where she investigated sugar and non-nutritive sweetener intake in young children. Prior to this, she completed her Master of Public Health (MPH) in Nutrition and Dietetics from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto (Ontario) and her undergraduate degree (BASc) in Nutrition and Food from Toronto Metropolitan University (Ontario). She completed her dietetic placements with ARAMARK Canada Ltd (Ontario). Dr. Mahajan’s research interests include using community based participatory approaches for developing lifestyle health promotion programs early in life, examining racial diversity in the dietetics workforce and sugar, nonnutritive sweetener and sodium intake in young children.

Jennifer is a Registered Dietitian and Associate Professor at Acadia University, Mtaban (Wolfville), Mi’kma’ki (Nova Scotia), Turtle Island (Canada). Her work explores health profession(al)s’ roles in socially just practice and advocacy, the history of home economics and dietetics, and cultural food security.

Semone myrie (SHE/HER/HERS/ELLE)

COMING SOON

COMING SOON

Kelly has worked as a registered dietitian for 20 years, prioritizing community wellness. Kelly is Kanyen’keha (Mohawk), French and Irish, also a proud mother of two energetic children. Currently Kelly works with Six Nations Health Services as a Portfolio Lead, Community Health & Wellness. She is co-chair of the Nourish Indigenous and Allies Advisory, supporting work to increase access and availability of Indigenous foods within healthcare settings. Her work focuses on acknowledging Indigenous knowledge and how it can be integrated into her everyday work, supporting community members on their journey towards their own wellness.

COMING SOON

Sarthak recently completed his dietetic internship at Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) in partnership with Brescia University College. He finished his undergraduate dietetics training at the University of Guelph in Applied Human Nutrition. Sarthak also holds a Master of Science from McMaster University, where he studied functional aging and dietary supplements, as well as a doctorate from the University of Guelph, studying fat metabolism, mitochondrial bioenergetics, and exercise physiology. Sarthak has engaged in advocacy work throughout his dietetics education and training. In the eating disorder space, Sarthak has worked with organizations including NEDIC, Body Brave, and Sheena’s Place to provide accessible, inclusive, and culturally relevant treatment for members of the Black, Indigenous, and other People of Colour (BIPOC) community. Additionally, in the family nutrition space, he works to break traditional gender roles and stereotypes by advocating for the recognition and inclusion of fathers through his private practice Family & Co. Nutrition. As a person of colour, Sarthak has encountered barriers during his dietetics training and joined the advisory circle to offer his experience in academia, industry, and private practice to help promote greater accessibility and diversity within the dietetics profession.

Nicholas Hickens (he/him) is a medical student at the University of Toronto, researcher, published book author, and community leader whose work centres on health equity, patient-centred care measures, and social accountability. Originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia, he spent much of his life growing up in Guyana and across the Caribbean, experiences that shaped his understanding of how poverty, stigma, exclusion, and structural inequities influence health and opportunity. His academic background spans biology, biochemistry and molecular biology, applied human nutrition, family medicine and primary care, and global health.

He has held leadership and research roles across Canada and internationally, including as Clinical Trials Research Coordinator at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Research Project Director on a Public Health Agency of Canada–supported initiative serving formerly incarcerated African-descendant communities across Nova Scotia, Research Lab Manager on Canada’s first EEG-based racial stress study in BIPOC populations, and HIV Health Awareness Officer in Kenya, where he collaborated with universities, USAID, and community stakeholders on HIV prevention and sexual health literacy for youth. He is also the Founder of the Boxhand Health Initiative.

Nicholas has served on several leadership and advisory bodies, including the QEII Foundation Diversity in Healthcare Board and the RI-MUHC Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee, and as an evaluator for the Healthy Populations Journal. His scholarship and leadership have been recognized through distinctions, including finalist recognition for the McCall MacBain Scholarships and the Rhodes Scholarship, and he has been featured on CBC and the Life Out Loud podcast.

Sandrine Geoffrion is a registered dietitian and holds a master’s degree in nutrition from the University of Montreal, which allowed her to study the eating habits of people working in fast-food restaurants. As a research coordinator on the team, she is working on a survey project that will create a socio-demographic profile of registered dietitians across Canada and examine their perceptions of discrimination, diversity, and sense of belonging within the profession.