A renewed partnership with the World Well being Group (WHO) will lengthen the Division of Dietary Sciences’ (DNS) world impression, participating college consultants in opinions and coaching that assist form WHO tips and analysis networks.
As a part of the partnership extending into 2026, the division will function a Pan American Well being Group (PAHO)/WHO Collaborating Centre on Diet Analysis for Well being – the one such heart within the U.S. devoted to vitamin points.
“One among our missions is the interpretation of analysis for the general public good, and this can be a direct instance of that,” mentioned Patricia Cassano, division director and the Alan D. Mathios Professor within the School of Human Ecology (CHE). “We’re making use of our experience in vitamin and well being to systematic opinions that may assist policymakers develop tips advising the world on the way to enhance vitamin for higher well being. It’s a critically necessary partnership.”
The collaborating heart is led by Cassano and affiliate administrators Julia Finkelstein, affiliate professor of epidemiology and vitamin in DNS and affiliate professor of worldwide improvement within the School of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), and Dr. Saurabh Mehta, the Janet and Gordon Lankton Professor in DNS, professor of worldwide improvement (CALS) and director of the Program in Worldwide Diet.
A centerpiece of the partnership is the WHO/Cochrane/Cornell Summer Institute, to be held just about this July with roughly 30 worldwide vitamin scientists and practitioners anticipated to take part from so far as India and Ecuador.
The institute options two weeks of coaching in systematic opinions of vitamin interventions in populations, a course of that underpins the formation of WHO tips. Systematic opinions outline policy-relevant analysis questions, then study and summarize proof and gaps in analysis utilizing rigorous methodologies championed by the nonprofit Cochrane.
For instance, Cassano mentioned, the institute just lately centered on systematic opinions wanted to advance WHO tips associated to toddler feeding within the context of the virus that causes COVID-19, and to decreasing childhood weight problems. Total, she mentioned, greater than a dozen WHO coverage tips have included the institute’s analysis opinions, which she mentioned faucet division and college experience spanning vitamin, epidemiology, public well being, statistics and knowledge science.
Dr. Francesco Branca, director of the WHO’s Division of Diet for Well being and Improvement, mentioned he was happy to proceed a partnership with Cornell that he mentioned has labored actively and efficiently since 2016.
“We take into account it important to proceed participating and collaborating with the Division of Dietary Sciences,” Branca mentioned.
Along with the systematic opinions led by Cassano, the middle focuses on constructing the capability of analysis networks within the PAHO area, which incorporates greater than 113 summer season institute alumni, by means of collaborative initiatives and multicenter research.
“In lots of nations, groups have been skilled and these are the consultants who implement evidence-informed decision-making,” mentioned Dr. Luis Gabriel Cuervo, PAHO/WHO’s senior adviser on analysis for well being. “As a result of these groups additionally have interaction in worldwide analysis collaborations, we now have networks of leaders elevating the standard and resilience of native well being programs and providers. These capacities are invaluable property for his or her communities.”
For instance, summer season institute alums have began Cochrane facilities for systematic opinions and coaching in India and Malaysia.
Mentioned Cassano: “You’re constructing the power to provide opinions related for native and regional conditions – to tell the synthesis and translation of proof for policymakers and practitioners.”
