Jessica Wegener is an Associate Professor in the School of Nutrition, an applied researcher, and a member of the College of Dietitians of Ontario. Jessica holds an MSc in Applied Human Nutrition from the University of Guelph’s Department of Family Relations and Human Nutrition and a PhD from the ...
Jessica Wegener is an Associate Professor in the School of Nutrition, an applied researcher, and a member of the College of Dietitians of Ontario. Jessica holds an MSc in Applied Human Nutrition from the University of Guelph’s Department of Family Relations and Human Nutrition and a PhD from the University of Waterloo’s School of Public Health Sciences (formerly Health Studies). She completed a one-year postdoctoral fellowship in the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta, focusing on community-level interventions to address food insecurity.
Her research is focused on sustainable food systems, education and policy. Currently, Jessica is working with national and international partners to explore the integration of sustainable food systems (SFS) content in dietetic education and training. Through CFDR-funded work, Jessica and collaborators are exploring how dietetic educators in Canada teach SFS, including what needs and supports they require to practice confidently in this area. As part of an SSHRC-funded study, Jessica and collaborators are examining the ways in which dietitians support transitions to sustainable dietary patterns and practices in Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia. Through this research, the team is working to identify “stand out” leaders in SFS, across practice areas, with the goal of identifying and developing tools and supports for more dietitians to engage in impactful SFS practice activity.