Melody Anacker

Biography

Melody research is teaching, and outreach interests are at the intersection of the ecological, cultural, and health aspects of food systems with a focus on food security and food environments in health disparate communities. For the past 13 years, I have carried out transdisciplinary food systems research in a range of ecological and cultural contexts in China, India, Morocco, Venezuela, Belize, the Dominican Republic, and the United States. Since joining the faculty of Montana State University in Fall 2013, I jointly initiated The Food and Health Lab in collaboration with Dr. Carmen Byker Shanks with the objective to carry out and provide training on basic, behavioral, and applied research to explore agricultural-nutrition-health linkages. As the Principle Investigator of the Agroecology and Phytochemistry Group of the Food and Health Lab, I am particularly interested in identifying the socio-ecological determinants of environmental and human wellbeing in the food system. This work involves quantifying the influence of environmental factors and agricultural practices on ecosystem services, food quality, food access, and diets in the context of global change. The ultimate translational goal of this work is to develop evidence-based plans to promote biodiversity in agricultural systems and mitigate risk of food insecurity and diet-related chronic disease towards promoting sustainability of food systems.

Research Interest

Maternal and child health nutrition, Nutrition assessment, Advisor for the Montana Student Dietetic Association