Health Economics Section Panel Discussion on Food Is Medicine

Featuring Hollie Raynor (University of Tennessee), Michelle Shippy (Indiana Department of Health), and Wen You (University of Virginia)

The Health Economics Section is hosting a virtual panel discussion on “Food is Medicine: Exploring the Intersection of Nutrition and Health Policy”. The event will feature experts from diverse fields of health economics, public policy, nutrition science, and policymakers to explore how food can play a pivotal role in improving health outcomes and reducing healthcare costs. Panelists will discuss the latest research, successful interventions, and the challenges in implementing food-as-medicine initiatives at both individual and systemic levels.

We invite questions from the AAEA community for the panelists about Food Is Medicine. Please click on the link below to submit your questions by 5:00 pm on Friday, February 14.
https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4Sztrcf7ZnYpzRY

When: Wednesday, March 5, 2025
Time: 2:00 - 3:00 pm Eastern Time
Register here: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/meeting/register/YbES946PRTqZIhmlg0L2cg

Please get in touch with Bhagyashree Katare (bkatare@purdue.edu) in case you have any questions.

Hollie Raynor, PhD, RD, LDN: Hollie is the Executive Associate Dean of Research and Operations in the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences at the University of Tennessee. She holds a MS in Public Health Nutrition and a PhD in Clinical Psychology. She conducts lifestyle intervention research in pediatric/adult obesity care, has published >150 peer-reviewed articles, and has received funding from the National Institutes of Health and others. She served as a member of several guideline development committees for obesity care (American Psychological Association, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics) and was a member of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. 

Michelle Shippy, MS, RDN: Michelle is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) who has worked in public health nutrition for over 16 years. Her current role is the Food is Medicine Director at the Indiana Department of Health’s Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity. Michelle is a subject matter expert in food is medicine program management and implementation including securing grants, creating and executing project work plans, braiding and weaving diverse funding streams, and evaluation and quality improvement. Sustaining authentic relationships and good communication is her foundation in creating better policies and systems for access to nutritious food. 

Dr. Wen You: Dr. Wen You is a health economist and applied econometrician, serving as a Professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Virginia, where she also directs the Population Health and Cancer Outcomes Core at the UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center. Her research focuses on addressing health disparities through the integration of economics and other disciplines, with extensive expertise in randomized control trials (designs and analysis), economic program evaluation, and incentive design, contributing to over 100 peer-reviewed publications and over 20 multiple interdisciplinary projects funded by organizations such as NIH, ACS, USDA and PCORI.