Research in focus: Tamara Cohen

Name:

Tamara Cohen

Title:

Director of Dietetics and Assistant Professor, Food, Nutrition and Health

Department/Unit:

Faculty of Land and Food Systems

Location:

Vancouver

What year did you start working at UBC?

2020

Provide an overview of your research in 75 words or less:

My research involves understanding how people can better adhere to eating patterns that improve their overall health and mental wellbeing. My research is patient-focused, and uses mixed methods that involve behavioural theories to better understand the barriers and facilitators that impact healthy dietary behaviours. As technology is now so prevalent, my lab is pushing the boundaries and testing tools, including smartphone apps, that center on holistic approaches to adhering to healthy diets.

What first motivated you (or motivates you) to conduct your research?

As a registered dietitian, I understand the frustrations that people feel when they are not able to maintain a lifestyle change, particularly with diet. I am motivated to shift the dialogue and focus away from “calories” and “good and bad foods” to help people listen to their bodies and respond in healthy ways. This means making small dietary changes that often amount to big results.

Are there any research collaborators you’d like to acknowledge and why?

My work is inter-disciplinary: I work with Dr. Eli Puterman, Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Physical Activity and Health at UBC on research related to management of childhood obesity through BC Children’s Hospital Shapedown, the Provincial weight management program for children with obesity. I also work closely with Dr. Angela Alberga from Concordia University, a leading expert in weight-bias. Together we are spearheading research that is supporting adolescents living with severe obesity undergoing bariatric surgery by creating novel nutrition education tools to support dietary adherence.

What have you learned during your research that has surprised you the most?

Together with my collaborators in computer science, health psychology and behavioural medicine, I am creating a smartphone dietary self-monitoring application that mirrors the new 2019 Canada Food Guide with the goal of helping Canadians adapt healthy eating habits.  In August 2021, my lab completed a virtual qualitative study with adults throughout Canada to get a sense of people’s barriers to tracking their diets using the proposed smartphone application.  What surprised me the most were the many new and incredible ideas suggested by our participants that spoke to accessibility and inclusivity related to tracking their diets using our tool. We are currently developing beta-version 1.0 so stay tuned!