Lamis Jomaa

Lamis Jomaa is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition at the University of North Carolina’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. She holds an adjunct associate professor role at the American University of Beirut (AUB). Her work focuses on food and nutrition security, refugee health, and reducing health disparities through evidence-based interventions. She employs mixed-methods research to evaluate the burden and determinants of food insecurity in vulnerable populations globally.

Dr. Jomaa holds a PhD and MSc in Nutrition Sciences from Pennsylvania State University (2010 and 2008) and a BSc in Nutrition and Food Sciences from the American University of Beirut (2004). Her research explores the intersection of conflict, displacement, and nutrition, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. She has contributed to designing interdisciplinary graduate programs and teaching courses on public health nutrition, food security, and research methods.

Her recent work examines the role of campus food pantries in addressing food insecurity among youth and evaluates sustainable dietary practices. She has collaborated with international agencies and NGOs on refugee health initiatives, including the Refugee Health Program at AUB’s Global Health Institute.

Dr. Jomaa’s service activities include roles as a member of the American Society of Nutrition’s Nutrition Education and Behavioral Sciences Research Interest Group, serving on awards committees, and chairing oral presentations. She has been an invited speaker at over 40 conferences, including keynotes at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome.

Her research has been funded by intramural and extramural grants, and she collaborates with multidisciplinary teams across academia and humanitarian sectors. She is a research fellow at UNC’s Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, emphasizing translational research to address global health challenges.