Yanaina Chavez-Ugalde

I trained as a Food Engineer, and hold an MSc in Nutrition, Physical Activity and Public Health and a PhD in Population Health Sciences at the University of Bristol.
I have held different roles to enable people to adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles, including as a Physical Activity Project Officer at Macmillan Cancer Support, as a Health and Wellbeing Coach for the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, and as a Research Assistant at University College London.
Currently, I am a Research Associate at the MRC Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge. I am interested in exploring the complex dynamics of the commercial food system and health. My work primarily examines the effects of ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption on youth’s health.
I am passionate about systems thinking approaches, science communication, and patient and public involvement to create healthier food environments.
My current research on UPF has brought to light the significant social injustices underlying our existing food system. Additionally, it has shed light on the public health disparities linked to UPFs, emphasizing the imperative for policy measures aimed at reducing health inequalities rooted in social injustice.
My aim is to contribute to our understanding of the drivers of UPF consumption in youth to better inform intervention, public health messaging and equitable policy development about the potential health and environmental harms of UPF consumption.