Young Research Group

Our Mission

Scientific excellence for social equity

Cover image. In the center is the group logo: an outline of a mother and text that reads The Young Research Group for Maternal & Child Nutrition. Around the logo reads, 'a holistic, ecological approach to healthier mothers and children.' On the left of the logo is a photo of Dr. Sera Young, the principal investigator, who is talking with families in a focus group discussion about food security in Singida, Tanzania. On the right is a photo of a go-along interview about water insecurity in Kathmandu, Nepal by a water souce.

Sera L. Young, Principal Investigator

Our Group
Projects
Publications

Our areas of research

icon of water
Water insecurity
icon of a knife and fork
Food insecurity
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Pica

Water Insecurity

The ability to measure food insecurity has been transformative, but our understanding of both how to measure water insecurity and what its consequences are is in its early days. We are therefore exploring water insecurity quantitatively and qualitatively in a number of sites globally, and have discovered there are surprising and far-reaching ways that problems with water shape well-being. We have also collaborated with dozens of scholars to create a globally validated set of 12 questions to quantify experiences with reliable access and use of water. Learn about the Water Insecurity Experiences (WISE) Scales.

WISE Scales Website
Perceived consequences of water insecurity in the first 1,000 days among women in western Kenya by domain; ordered by decreasing salience. From our article in Global Public Health.
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Food Insecurity

What is the role of food insecurity in adverse maternal and child health and nutritional outcomes, especially in the context of HIV? What are the types of effects, the magnitude of effects, and which of these are modifiable? How can food insecurity be mitigated amongst women and children in low-resource settings? To answer these questions we have conducted observational and intervention studies in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda.

Structural Drivers of Food Insecurity
A conceptual framework that guides our lab’s understanding of the bidirectional links between food insecurity and HIV/AIDS. From our paper in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
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Pica

Is pica an adaptive response to health challenges? What is the relationship between pica and iron deficiency? In our data from East Africa, North America, and elsewhere, we know that non-food cravings and iron deficiency are associated, but the nature of the relationship is unclear. We have used a variety of in vitro and in vivo animal studies, as well as observational cohorts, to ascertain the mechanisms underlying this relationship, and to test the two major physiological hypotheses about pica: supplementation and detoxification.

Consumed earths may protect against toxins and pathogens by (a) strengthening the mucosal layer by binding with mucin and/or stimulating mucin production, thereby reducing the permeability of the gut wall, and (b) binding to toxins and pathogens directly, thereby rendering them unabsorbable by the gut. From our paper in Annual Review of Nutrition.
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About Dr. Sera Young
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