Message from the Vice-President, Research & Innovation

When we think of food, many things come to mind: celebration, family, culture. But when we go deeper, we can see how access to fresh, nourishing food is the main marker of health for communities around the world.

At Ryerson, we explore the nutritional needs of Canadians and international communities at the intersection of two of our research themes: health and well being; and city building and social justice. We look at nutrition in many ways: from seeing how food breaks down in the body, to how food production can impact broader communities by providing not only nourishment but also employment and security.

Nutrition is a basic determinant of healthy communities. Whether access to nutritious food is gained by increasing knowledge, creating political and economic stability, or in the most fundamental way, by growing and harvesting the raw materials necessary to produce food, we all benefit from a healthier society. Ryerson researchers recognize the importance of addressing these issues.

In this issue of Innovation, we look at how Cecilia Rocha is using her knowledge from a previous project in Brazil to bring the production of ready-to-use therapeutic foods to an impoverished area of Vietnam. Through Mustafa Koç’s work, we see the importance of access to culturally relevant foods for immigrant and refugee communities to enhance their health. Julie Kellershohn examines consumer behaviour in making healthy food choices in restaurants and what drives those choices. Dérick Rousseau and Nick Bellissimo are teaming up to explore the foods that  keep us full longer in order to create new foods that taste good and offer good nutritional value. In our Partner to Innovate story, we highlight Ryerson’s partnership with St. Michael’s Hospital through the Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Science Technology (iBEST) with work being done by Scott Tsai. And finally, in our spotlight story we hear from Lori Beckstead, whose project focuses on diversity and equity in the field of on-air radio.

We hope you enjoy this issue of Innovation and invite you to share in our appetite for research on this important topic.

Usha George
Vice-President, Research and Innovation (Interim)