Mathematica Policy Research Newsroom
WASHINGTON, DC — Ronette Briefel, a senior fellow at Mathematica Policy Research, has been tapped to serve as one of five experts on an external scientific panel for the National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research (NCCOR) for a term of one year. The Collaborative, which seeks to reduce childhood obesity in the United States, is a public-private partnership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Briefel’s appointment to the NCCOR External Scientific Panel (NESP) signifies national recognition of her extensive expertise in childhood obesity and chronic disease epidemiology. Briefel has led numerous national studies on the association between the school food environment, children’s diets, and obesity. She has also led studies on the food consumption patterns and nutrient intake of infants, toddlers and preschoolers, including the landmark 2008 Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study.
Briefel and her colleagues on the NESP will advise the Collaborative on research developments and innovations in practice, as well as on the establishment of key indicators to evaluate progress against childhood obesity. Commenting on the importance of the Collaborative and the role of the NESP, Briefel said, “it is crucial that policies and programs designed to reduce childhood obesity are guided by sound evidence. I look forward to contributing to the important work of the NESP and to helping to improve child health and well-being in the United States.”
About Mathematica: Mathematica Policy Research seeks to improve public well-being by conducting studies and assisting clients with program evaluation and policy research, survey design and data collection, research assessment and interpretation and program performance/data management. Its clients include foundations, federal and state governments and private-sector and international organizations. The employee-owned company, with offices in Princeton, N.J.; Ann Arbor, Mich.; Cambridge, Mass.; Chicago, Ill.; Oakland, Calif.; and Washington, DC, has conducted some of the most important studies of nutrition, education, health care, international, disability, family support, employment, and early childhood policies and programs.
About NCCOR: The National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research (NCCOR) brings together four of the nation’s leading research funders – the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) – to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and application of childhood obesity research and to halt – and reverse – the current childhood obesity trend through enhanced coordination and collaboration.