Nutrients Webinar | Advancing Methodological Rigor in Nutritional Epidemiology
Nutrients Webinar | Advancing Methodological Rigor in Nutritional Epidemiology
Part of the Nutrients Webinar Series series
9 February 2026
Nutritional Epidemiology, Methodological Rigor, Dietary Assessment, Evidence-Based Nutrition, Public Health Nutrition, Statistical Modeling, Epidemiologic Methods, Confounding, Observational Studies
Welcome from the Chair
25th Nutrients Webinar
Advancing Methodological Rigor in Nutritional Epidemiology
As Chair of today’s webinar and Guest Editor of the Special Issue Advancing Methodological Rigor in Nutritional Epidemiology, I am very pleased to welcome you and to thank you for joining us.
Nutritional epidemiology plays a critical role in shaping dietary guidance, clinical practice, and public health policy. At the same time, it is a field that has faced sustained scrutiny due to inconsistent findings, challenges in dietary assessment, and methodological limitations that can complicate interpretation and erode public trust. As the demand for clear, actionable nutrition guidance continues to grow, improving the rigor and transparency of our research methods has never been more important.
This Special Issue was developed to create space for constructive and practical discussion around these challenges. We are particularly interested in work that strengthens study design, statistical analysis, reporting practices, and causal inference, as well as innovative approaches to dietary measurement. The aim is not simply to identify problems, but to highlight realistic strategies that researchers, reviewers, and editors can apply to improve the quality and credibility of nutrition research.
Today’s speakers bring complementary perspectives that align closely with these goals. Their talks span methodological evaluation, applied examples, and practical guidance, and together they reflect the spirit of this Special Issue. I hope today’s session encourages critical reflection, open discussion, and concrete changes in how we conduct and report nutrition research.
Thank you again for being part of this webinar. I look forward to the presentations and to the discussion during the question-and-answer session.
Date: 09 February 2026
Time: 3:00 p.m. CET | 9:00 a.m. EST
Webinar ID: 870 1456 0312
Webinar Secretariat: journal.webinar@mdpi.com
Event Chair
Dr. Jamie Seabrook is a Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Western University, with cross-appointments in the Department of Paediatrics (Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry), as well as the Brescia School of Food and Nutritional Sciences (Faculty of Health Sciences). Dr. Seabrook is also a Scientist with the Children’s Health Research Institute, Lawson Research Institute, and London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute in London, Ontario, and a Faculty Associate of the Human Environments Analysis Laboratory. Dr. Seabrook’s research focuses on the social determinants of child health disparities and youth substance use and mental health. In 2019, Dr. Seabrook received the Award for Excellence in Research at Brescia University College.
Invited Speakers
Dr. Jamie Seabrook is a Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Western University, with cross-appointments in the Department of Paediatrics (Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry), as well as the Brescia School of Food and Nutritional Sciences (Faculty of Health Sciences). Dr. Seabrook is also a Scientist with the Children’s Health Research Institute, Lawson Research Institute, and London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute in London, Ontario, and a Faculty Associate of the Human Environments Analysis Laboratory. Dr. Seabrook’s research focuses on the social determinants of child health disparities and youth substance use and mental health. In 2019, Dr. Seabrook received the Award for Excellence in Research at Brescia University College.
Social Determinants of Health; Child Health; Public Health; Perinatal Epidemiology; Statistics; Substance Use; Mental Health; Youth; Diet
Brescia School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Western University, Canada
Dr. Jasna Twynstra is an Associate Professor and Graduate Chair in the Brescia School of Food and Nutritional Sciences at Western University and an Associate Scientist with the Children’s Health Research Institute. Dr. Twynstra’s research focuses on nutrition education for pregnancy from the perspectives of the healthcare provider and the pregnant person.
Nutrition Knowledge; Nutrition Education; Pregnancy
Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, University of Guelph, Canada
Dr. Schaafsma is a Registered Dietitian and postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Guelph in the Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition. Dr. Schaafsma’s research at the University of Guelph primarily focuses on the Guelph Family Health Study, exploring the impact of a family-based obesity prevention intervention on dietary outcomes in preschool children and how equity factors (e.g., income, ethnicity, gender) may moderate intervention effectiveness. Dr. Schaafsma’s previous doctoral research at Western University focused on the impact of an mHealth healthy eating intervention on postsecondary students’ diet quality and explored barriers and facilitators to intervention effectiveness. Dr. Schaafsma is also an instructor in the Brescia School of Food and Nutritional Sciences at Western University.
Registration
This is a FREE webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.
Certificates of attendance will be delivered to those who attend the live webinar.
Can’t attend? Register anyway and we’ll let you know when the recording is available to watch.
Program
|
Speaker/Presentation |
Time in EST |
Time in CET |
|
Webinar Opening + Special Issue Introduction Dr. Jamie Seabrook |
9:00 - 9:10 am |
3:00- 3:10 pm |
|
Rigor Starts with Reporting: Lessons from a Decade of Dietetics Research Dr. Jamie Seabrook |
9:10 - 9:30 am |
3:10-3:30 pm |
|
Nutrition Care for Pregnancy: Methodological Approaches Dr. Jasna Twynstra |
9:30 - 9:50 am |
3:30-3:50 pm |
|
Integrating Equity into Nutrition Intervention Development and Evaluation Dr. Holly Schaafsma |
9:50 - 10:10 am |
3:50 – 4:10 pm |
|
Q&A |
10:10 - 10:25 am |
4:10- 4:25 pm |
|
Closing of Webinar Dr. Jamie Seabrook |
10:25 - 10:30 am |
4:25 – 4:30 pm |
Relevant Special Issue
Edited by: Prof. Dr. Jamie Seabrook
Deadline for Submission: 14 May 2026
Sponsors and Partners
Organizers
