Dr Hannah Ensaff

Profile

I am an Associate Professor of Public Health Nutrition at the School of Food Science and Nutrition. With a research focus on public health nutrition, food choice and nutrition interventions, my research encompasses quantitative and qualitative methodologies to assess populations' diets and food choice. This includes analysis of national survey data, as well as routinely collected food choice datasets to examine dietary patterns; qualitative data analysis to explore public perspectives on dietary intake and consumption (including plant-based diets, fruit and vegetable consumption and government dietary guidelines); and the development and evaluation of nutrition interventions (with a specific interest in choice architecture and nudging food choice).

Responsibilities

• Postdoc Champion, Faculty of Environment

Research interests

Active research strands include:

• Children and adolescents’ food choice parameters within school food environments
• Older adults’ food choice and dietary intake, and changes in food preferences
• Data analytics of voluminous datasets to understand children’s food choice behaviour
• Food choice architecture and nudges in real world settings

Free School Meals, Diet Quality and Food Insecurity in Secondary School Pupils. Lead Research Organisation: Queen's University of Belfast, Jayne Woodside (PI)

Food in primary schools – studying children’s real-world food choice and dietary behaviour. Lead Research Organisation: University of Leeds, Ensaff (PI), M Homer, SchoolGrid. 

Using Data Analytics to Understand Children's Food Choice Behaviour  (studentship CDT in Data Analytics & Society)

Inès François postgraduate researcher

Choice architecture: opportunities for better food choice in school settings. Lead Research Organisation: University of Leeds, Ensaff (PI), in partnership with the Behavioural Insights Unit, World Health Organization.

GENIUS School Food Network  Opportunities for intervention and innovation in the UK School Food System: the GENIUS (Generating Excellent Nutrition In UK Schools) network. Lead Research Organisation: Queen's University of Belfast, Jayne Woodside (PI)

Addressing micronutrient deficiencies associated with the double burden of childhood malnutrition in China, a combined food system framework Lead Research Organisation: University of Leeds, Yun Yun Gong (PI)

Prospective postdoctoral fellows interested in applying for external funding to conduct research with us are encouraged. Please get in touch well in advance of any deadline for us to be able to discuss potential opportunities and research projects. We can discuss ideas to formulate research projects and also consider developed research proposals. Active research strands are outlined above, and please include a detailed outline of your research interests and a cv when you get in touch.

• Addressing micronutrient deficiencies associated with the double burden of childhood malnutrition in China, a combined food system framework
• Community-led, nutrition-sensitive agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Food in Primary Schools – studying children’s real-world food choice and dietary behaviour (FiPS study)

Qualifications

• MEng PhD MMedSci

Professional memberships

• Nutrition Society
• Association for Nutrition (RNutR)
• American Society for Nutrition
• Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
• Royal Society for Public Health (FRSPH)

Research groups and institutes

• Nutrition and Public Health
• Nutritional Epidemiology
• Human Nutrition and Lifestyle Intervention
• Food safety, food security and global health
• Sustainable Food Systems

Current postgraduate researchers

• Sara Alsilmi
• Andrea Cereceres Aragón
• Chris Jones
• Rui Ma
• Patrice Mwithaga