Departmental Affiliations
Center & Institute Affiliations
Mika Matsuzaki, PhD, MPH, MS, is a life-course epidemiologist studying how policies, built environments, and equity affect nutrition-related chronic diseases and obesity.
Research Interests
Obesity; Food systems; Food environment; School Nutrition Policy; Lifecourse Epidemiology; Food Composition Tables; Nutrition Transition; International Health
Additional Links
Experiences & Accomplishments
Education
PhD
University of London
2016
MPH
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
2009
MS
Columbia Univeristy
2005
Overview
I am a nutritional epidemiologist interested in ways to reduce cardiometabolic diseases and obesity by facilitating transition towards healthier lifestyles. My research primarily focuses on the impact of changes in food systems on diet, nutritional status, and cardiometabolic diseases, especially among youth from socially disadvantaged populations in the U.S. and globally.
My current research portfolio includes:
1) Evaluation of the effectiveness of state and federal school nutrition policies on youth overweight/obesity
2) Assessment of the effects of food environments near schools on disparities in diet quality and youth overweight/obesity among youth
3) Development of a global food composition database with an emphasis on data from LMICs
My current research portfolio includes:
1) Evaluation of the effectiveness of state and federal school nutrition policies on youth overweight/obesity
2) Assessment of the effects of food environments near schools on disparities in diet quality and youth overweight/obesity among youth
3) Development of a global food composition database with an emphasis on data from LMICs
Select Publications
My research focuses on individual and environmental determinants of nutrition-related chronic diseases among socially disadvantaged populations. In addition, I am interested in improving interoperability of food composition databases from low and middle income countries.
- Matsuzaki M, Sánchez BN, Rebanal RD, Gittelsohn J, Sanchez-Vaznaugh EV. California and federal school nutrition policies and obesity among children of Pacific Islander, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Filipino origins: Interrupted time series analysis. PLOS Medicine Public Library of Science; 2021;18:e1003596.
- Matsuzaki M, Sánchez BN, Acosta ME, Botkin J, Sanchez-Vaznaugh EV. Food environment near schools and body weight-A systematic review of associations by race/ethnicity, gender, grade, and socio-economic factors. Obes Rev. 2020;21(4):e12997. doi:10.1111/obr.12997
- Matsuzaki M, Kuper H, Kulkarni B, et al. Life-course determinants of bone mass in young adults from a transitional rural community in India: the Andhra Pradesh Children and Parents Study (APCAPS). Am J Clin Nutr. 2014;99(6):1450-1459. doi:10.3945/ajcn.113.068791
- Matsuzaki M, Kuper H, Kulkarni B, et al. Adolescent undernutrition and early adulthood bone mass in an urbanizing rural community in India. Arch Osteoporos. 2015;10:232. doi:10.1007/s11657-015-0232-5
- Thornton K, Seals-Nutt K, Matsuzaki M. Introducing WikiFCD: Many Food Composition Tables in a Single Knowledge Base. InJOWO 2021.
Projects
School Nutrition Policies