Jennifer Massa

Biography

Dr Massa is the lead research scientist in the Culinary Nutrition Group in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. This group explores how nutrition and lifestyle can prevent and reduce chronic disease and complement clinical interventions to improve the health, well-being, and longevity of people and the planet.

The Culinary Nutrition team is leading cutting-edge research in the Food Is Medicine field by exploring the efficacy of teaching kitchens as vehicles for transformative health and well-being. We use the latest in nutrition science and create interactive educational curricula, incorporating behavior change strategies with culinary skill-building, food literacy, physical activity, stress reduction, and mindfulness to improve whole person health.

As leaders in culinary nutrition research, we promote resource sharing among our partners around the globe. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently spotlighted some of our work with Teaching Kitchens through their Food is Medicine promising practices and tools.

Education and Training

• MS, Epidemiology
  Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health
• DSc, Epidemiology
  Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health
• DSc, Nutrition Science
  Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health
• BA, Environmental Science
  Connecticut College

Publications

• Improving Cooking Skills, Lifestyle Behaviors, and Clinical Outcomes for Adults at Risk for Cardiometabolic Disease: Protocol for a Randomized Teaching Kitchen Multisite Trial (TK-MT).

  Massa J, Sapp C, Janisch K, Adeyemo MA, McClure A, Heredia NI, Hoelscher DM, Moin T, Malik S, Slusser W, Eisenberg DM. Nutrients 2025 Jan 16

  PMID: 39861444

• Will a Programmatic Framework Integrating Food Is Medicine Achieve Value on Investment?

  Fredericks L, Thomas O, Imamura A, MacLaren J, McClure A, Khalil J, Massa J. J Gen Intern Med 2024 Nov 11

  PMID: 39528722

• Proposed Nutrition Competencies for Medical Students and Physician Trainees: A Consensus Statement.

  Eisenberg DM, Cole A, Maile EJ, Salt M, Armstrong E, Broad Leib E, Findley T, Massa J, Albin J, Alston M, Barkoukis H, Buckhold F, Danoff R, Delichatsios H, Devries S, Dewar S, Di Rocco J, Duggan CP, Essel K, Frates B, Hansen P, Haramati A, Harlan TS, Hauser ME, Leopold D, Lewis J, Locke A, Mann JR, McClure A, McWhorter JW, Misra S, Murano T, Oxentenko A, Pierce-Talsma S, Potts S, Reilly JM, Ring M, Sampang S, Shafto K, Shiue L, Slusser W, Stone T, Studer K, Thomas O, Trilk J, Edgar L. JAMA Netw Open 2024 Sep 03

  PMID: 39348126

• Characteristics of Current Teaching Kitchens: Findings from Recent Surveys of the Teaching Kitchen Collaborative.

  Badaracco C, Thomas OW, Massa J, Bartlett R, Eisenberg DM. Nutrients 2023 Oct 10

  PMID: 37892402

• Perspective: Teaching Kitchens: Conceptual Origins, Applications and Potential for Impact within Food Is Medicine Research.

  Eisenberg DM, Pacheco LS, McClure AC, McWhorter JW, Janisch K, Massa J. Nutrients 2023 Jun 24

  PMID: 37447185