Punam Ohri-Vachaspati, Ph.D., R.D.

Punam Ohri-Vachaspati is a professor of nutrition at the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University, where she leads
the ASU Food Policy and Environment Research Group. Her research examines social determinants of health, specifically, in
low-income, minority communities. She studies the impact of federal, state, and local policies in shaping food and physical
activity environments in school settings and in communities. Her work assesses relationship of access to healthy food and
opportunities for physical activity with health outcomes and associated behaviors. Her work has been funded by multiple grants
from the National Institutes of Health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, among
others. She has served on the editorial boards of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Public Health Nutrition,
and Nutrients. She teaches graduate-level courses and mentors students interested in exploring nutrition policy and public
health approaches for improving healthy food access, eating behaviors, and health outcomes. In 2016-17, Dr. Ohri-Vachaspati
completed the RWJF Health Policy Fellowship working on healthcare and nutrition issues in Senator Gillibrand's (D-NY) office.
Dr. Ohri-Vachaspati is a registered dietitian and received her PhD degree from Tufts University School of Nutrition in Food
Policy and Applied Nutrition. She completed her undergraduate education at University of Delhi, India.