Shannan Grant

Biography

As a Scientist and Registered Dietitian (RD), a focus of my research program is the use of clinical trials to answer community-based questions. I am interested in assessment of nutrition education/ intervention from both the perspective of the patient/ client and the health care professional. Using knowledge translation (KT) strategies, classical behaviour change theories and core education principals, my colleagues and I develop, implement and assess dietary interventions. I am particularly interested in working with health care professionals and patients to assess novel approaches to chronic disease prevention and treatment. In addition to the above work, I am working with a variety of communities to include nutritional science education in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) outreach activities. My most recent partnerships have been (and are) with Imhotep Legacy Academy, Dalhousie University, Pictou Landing First Nation and Sipekne'katik First Nation, funded by a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) PromoScience Grant, Sandy Lake First Nation and Let’s Talk Science. In my work, training and mentorship activities, I highlight the capacity nutrition professionals have to play a key role in KT. As a strong believer that education activities inform research and vice versa, I am passionate about educating my students about the research process and enjoy guiding them as they develop knowledge and skills to become engaged in the knowledge-to-action process.

Research Interest

Chronic disease prevention and management, nutrition metabolism, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, endocrinology, gastrointestinal health, glycemic index