Family Resiliency Center: A Research and Policy Center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Family Resiliency Center

This podcast previews the Food and Family Conference 2019. The conference takes place September 26, 2019 in Chicago, IL. The conference will bring together the nation’s foremost experts in human nutrition, obesity research, and child and family health. The event will be hosted by Family Resiliency Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in partnership with the Christopher Family Foundation.
Hosted by: Ryann Monahan, Research Communications Specialist, Family Resiliency Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Featuring: Dr. Barbara Fiese, Director, Family Resiliency Center and Brenda Koester, Assistant Director, Family Resiliency Center
For more information: https://go.illinois.edu/FoodandFamilyConference

This podcast explores factors that influence the likelihood of women breastfeeding at six weeks postpartum, according to a new study. Researchers found more education and support for breastfeeding, increases the likelihood of breastfeeding at six weeks postpartum. The study also found women are not receiving education and information about breastfeeding at the same rates, which could result in health disparities. This research was conducted by Family Resiliency Center Researchers at the University of Illinois and calls attention to the need to increase breastfeeding education and awareness, especially to at-risk populations.
Hosted by: Ryann Monahan, Research Communications Specialist, Family Resiliency Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Featuring: Carolyn Sutter, PhD, Postdoctoral Student, Family Resiliency Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

This research was conducted as part of the Family Resiliency Center’s Strong Kids 2 Project. Strong kids 2 is a cell-to-society transdiciplinary study investigating how individual biology interacts with the family environment and what it could mean for childhood obesity prevention and interventions. More information can be found at https://go.illinois.edu/strongkids2

The study can be found online at https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/bfm.2018.0056

Funding:
This research was funded by grants from the National
Dairy Council to S.M.D. and B.H.F. (Co-Principal Investigator’s),
the Gerber Foundation to S.M.D., the Christopher
Family Foundation to S.M.D. and Kelly K. Bost, Hatch
ILLU 793-330 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to
B.H.F., Kelly K. Bost and Margarita Teran-Garcia, and the
National Institutes of Health DK107561 to S.M.D. The
STRONG Kids Team includes Kelly Bost, S.M.D., Soo-
Yeun Lee, B.A.M., Margarita Teran-Garcia, and B.H.F.

This podcast explores Family Resiliency Center’s STRONG Kids 2 research project and what it could mean for the future of childhood obesity prevention and interventions. Using a cells-to-society approach to nutrition, the STRONG Kids 2 transdisciplinary project will provide unique insights into how individual biology interacts with the family environment to promote healthy eating habits in young children. It is one of the first studies to take a longitudinal look at the habits, including milk and dairy consumption, from birth. To date, many consider the data this research team has collected to be a “gold mine” of health information on the early years of life as it relates to childhood obesity risk factors.
Hosted by: Ryann Monahan, Research Communications Specialist
Featuring: Erin Davis, Graduate Research Assistant, Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Awarded the 2016-2017 Dannon Gut Microbiome, Yogurt, and Probiotics Fellowship Grant

Funding: This research was funded by grants from the National Dairy Council to Sharon Donovan and Barbara H. Fiese (CoPI’s), the Gerber Foundation to Sharon Donovan, the Christopher Family Foundation to Sharon Donovan and Kelly K. Bost, Hatch ILLU 793-330 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to Barbara H. Fiese, Kelly K. Bost and Margarita Teran-Garcia, and the National Institutes of Health DK107561 to Sharon Donovan.

This podcast "unpacks" the health benefits behind kids packing their own school lunches. Research shows children who are involved with packing their own lunches tend to make healthier choices, end up with more fruits and vegetables, and have an opportunity to learn responsibility. This podcast features FRC post-doc Dr. Carolyn Sutter's in-depth research in the field of food and family meal times. She explains the importance of researching school lunches- a meal countless school children eat everyday- and how both parents and children can benefit from the lunch packing process. The research was part of the "Parents to Peers" project at University of California at Davis.
Hosted by: Ryann Monahan, Research Communications Specialist
Featuring: Carolyn Sutter, PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Family Resiliency Center post-doctoral student and staff.

New research shows a relationship between phthalates and deficits in cognitive function in rats. This podcast explores what the findings could mean to humans and society as a whole. Investigators call it a "cautionary study" that shows exposure to phthalates at critical stages in human development could lower the baseline of how smart humans are as a society and while it may be difficult to prove over time, "enough evidence in animals of various sorts, should make us worried." The research team successfully mimicked the average phthalates exposure in humans with subjects and found the subjects exposed responded slower to task changes, behaved differently than those not exposed, and showed physical changes to the front part of their brain.
Hosted by: Ryann Monahan, Research Communications Specialist
Featuring: Janice Juraska, PhD, Professor of Psycology and Neuroscience at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Family Resiliency Center affiliate & Daniel Kougias, PhD, Neuroscience University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2018.

This podcast highlights the Military Families Learning Network and the opportunities it provides members of the military, their families, and other service providers. The podcast discusses personal and professional development opportunities that are accessible around the world.
Hosted by: Ryann Monahan, Communications Specialist, Family Resiliency Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Featuring: Robin Allen MSPH, RDN, LDN
Upcoming Event: Family Resiliency Center Director, Dr. Barbara Fiese, hosts "The Power of Family Mealtimes: Strategies to Promote Health and Wellbeing" webinar August 21, 2018 11 a.m. (EDT). https://militaryfamilieslearningnetwork.org/