Jennifer Falbe

Dr. Jennifer Falbe is an Associate Professor of Nutrition and Human Development at the University of California, Davis. Her research focuses on programmatic, policy, and environmental interventions to prevent chronic diseases and reduce health disparities. Notably, she led the evaluation of Berkeley’s soda tax, the first of its kind in the U.S., and has examined healthy retail programs, multi-sector community interventions, and the impact of screen time on adolescent health. She employs quantitative and qualitative methods, including randomized controlled trials and observational studies, in clinical and community settings such as schools, childcare centers, and grocery stores.

Dr. Falbe holds dual Sc.D. degrees in Nutrition and Epidemiology from Harvard University, as well as an MPH in Public Health Nutrition and a B.A. in Public Health from UC Berkeley. She is actively involved in mentorship, accepting applications from undergraduate and graduate students interested in her lab’s research areas.

Key research interests include food policy, obesity prevention, environmental interventions (e.g., checkout policies, warning labels), and the social determinants of health. Her work often addresses disparities in low-income communities and ethnic minority groups.

• Education:
  • Sc.D., Nutrition & Epidemiology, Harvard University
  • M.P.H., Public Health Nutrition, UC Berkeley
  • B.A., Public Health, UC Berkeley

Recent projects include evaluations of sugar-sweetened beverage taxes, healthy checkout policies, and the effects of climate change impact labels on consumer choices. She has also explored retailer perspectives on taxation and the role of environmental factors in dietary behaviors.

Dr. Falbe’s grants include a UC Office of the President initiative to assess drinking water and sugar-sweetened beverage availability on UC Davis’ campus. Her lab emphasizes translating research into actionable policy and community-level interventions.