Purnima Menon, an expert on food and nutrition policy, will deliver a lecture at Cornell University on Tuesday, September 30, at 12:20 p.m. ET in Mann Library 102. The lecture is entitled “Nudging People (and Policy) Towards Better Diets and Nutrition: Insights from South Asia.” The event is part of the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition (TCI) distinguished lecture series.

The lecture will be held in a hybrid format. Virtual participants can register to attend via Zoom.

“Nutrition is never just about food—it’s about equity, opportunity and the systems that shape people’s choices,” Menon said. “Research gives us the evidence, but policy and practice are what turn that evidence into real change. If we want healthier diets, we have to design environments that make the better choice the easier choice.”

Menon is the senior director for food and nutrition policy at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). She is also the acting director for transformative strategies.

Menon has wide-ranging research experience in evaluating large-scale programs in nutrition, health systems, agriculture, gender, technology and food systems. She has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications, including studies in high-impact journals across disciplines, and has co-authored and advised on major global reports on nutrition and health. She has played a pivotal role in agenda-setting academic collaborations, such as the Lancet Series on Nutrition, Countdown to 2030 and the Global Nutrition Report.

Throughout her career, Menon has worked to translate research for policy communities. She has prepared and facilitated multiple nutrition-focused policy courses for policymakers with decision-making roles globally and within South Asia. She is a founding member of the Next Gen(D)eration Leadership Collective, an initiative to nurture effective leadership practices for a better-nourished world.

In 2020, Menon received the Nevin Scrimshaw Mid-Career Award in Global Nutrition from the American Society for Nutrition, in recognition of her contributions to the field.

Menon holds a doctorate in international nutrition from Cornell University and a master’s degree in nutrition from the University of Delhi.