Nutrients Webinar | Advancing Methodological Rigor in Nutritional Epidemiology
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
Meet Our Speakers
Dr. Jamie Seabrook
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Western University, Canada;
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.
Dr. Jasna Twynstra
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.
Dr. Holly Schaafsma
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.
On Monday, February 9, 2026, MDPI and Nutrients hosted a webinar entitled “Advancing Methodological Rigor in Nutritional Epidemiology”.
Thank you to everyone who attended this webinar. The webinar featured three presentations that addressed key methodological considerations across the nutrition research and practice continuum.
In the first presentation, I discussed the importance of strong methodological and statistical rigor in nutrition research. Topics included clear reporting of study objectives and hypotheses, appropriate study design, sample size calculations, sampling procedures, handling of missing data, transparent statistical reporting, appropriate use of statistical tests, considerations related to multiple hypothesis testing, effective use of tables and figures, and the interpretation of p-values.
The second presentation, delivered by Dr. Jasna Twynstra, focused on methodological approaches to nutrition care during pregnancy, highlighting important considerations for research and practice in this population.
The final presentation, given by Dr. Holly Schaafsma, explored strategies for integrating equity into the development and evaluation of nutrition interventions, emphasizing the importance of inclusive and context-sensitive approaches.
We hope participants found the webinar informative and engaging, and we look forward to welcoming attendees to future MDPI and Nutrients events.
Thank you again for your support.
The webinar was hosted on Zoom and required prior registration to attend. The full recording can be accessed below. In order to learn about future webinars, you can sign up for our newsletter by clicking “Subscribe” at the top of this page.
Edited by: Prof. Dr. Jamie Seabrook
Deadline for Submission: 14 May 2026