Jigna Dharod

Jigna Dharod serves as Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Her research program investigates mechanisms underlying food insecurity, associated risks, and intervention strategies at national and international levels, with particular focus on the first 1000 days of life. Internationally, she examines water insecurity impacts on food security pillars (availability, access, utilization), currently developing a validated household water security scale and assessing water access interventions in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Her research examines the relationship between food insecurity and poor health outcomes, especially during critical developmental periods, and explores how food insecurity contributes to racial/ethnic health disparities. Current projects include investigating food insecurity's effect on infant feeding practices and evaluating improved water access interventions on nutritional outcomes.