Staff

PhD in Food Security and Nutrition, University of Sydney

Nutrition-sensitive agriculture; Food environments; Drivers of food choice; Participatory research methods and approaches

Julia de Bruyn is an interdisciplinary researcher, with a strong interest in supporting sustainable, equitable improvements in diets and livelihoods in the Global South. Through her doctoral studies, Julia shifted from working as a veterinarian to evaluating the contributions of livestock-keeping to the diets and growth of children in rural Tanzania. Her subsequent research has spanned novel methods of dietary assessment, drivers of food access and food choice, the complementarity of nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-specific strategies to address malnutrition, and the role of food environments in supporting healthy diets. Julia joined the World Vegetable Center’s Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office in Arusha, Tanzania in March 2023. In her current role, Julia enjoys integrating qualitative and quantitative research methods – with a focus on participatory approaches and co-design – to diagnose barriers to sustainable, healthy diets. Her research aims to provide evidence-based solutions to make vegetables more available, accessible and desirable in lower-income countries.