Institute for Food Safety & Nutrition Security | The George Washington University

research day winners!

The Milken Institute School of Public Health hosted Research Day 2026 on April 15. The annual event showcases undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and alumni projects. IFSAN had 39 participants in Research Day. Awards are given for outstanding research on food systems-related topics, including food safety, food and nutrition security, federal nutrition assistance programs, food and nutrition policies, food environments, and One Health. IFSAN Award winners this year were:

UNDERGRADUATE

1st place prize $300 - Prisha Chawala
2nd place prize $200 - Andrew Han

GRADUATE (MASTER'S OR DOCTORAL)

1st place prize $300 - Christine St. Pierre
2nd place prize $200 - Jaiden Bluth

RESEARCH STAFF/ALUMNI/POSTDOC

1st place prize $300 - Yashan Wang
2nd place prize $200 - Marve Ladik/Yossef Alnasser

people in the world fall ill after eating contaminated food and 420,000 die every year.

of the foodborne disease burden is carried by children under 5 years of age, with 125,000 deaths every year.

or 42% of the world's population, are unable to afford a healthy diet

Commentary

“Ceasing coordination and cooperation globally could substantially affect food safety and nutrition security. Without the collaboration in place to alert or be alerted about foodborne disease outbreaks, our food system could be significantly weakened, and the number of people who get sick could substantially increase.”

Barb Kowalcyk | IFSAN Director,
about the U.S. leaving the World Health Organization.

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