Lisa Harnack

Lisa Harnack is a Professor and Interim Division Head in the Division of Epidemiology & Community Health at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. She also serves as Director of the Nutrition Coordinating Center (NCC) and is a Member of both the Healthy Weight Research Center and the Masonic Cancer Center.

Her educational background includes:

• DrPH in Public Health Nutrition from University of California Berkeley
• MPH in Public Health Nutrition from University of California Berkeley
• BS in Dietetics from University of Wisconsin-Stout
• AA from Rochester Community College

Dr. Harnack is a public health nutrition expert whose research improves scientific evidence for nutrition policies, programs, and practices. Her work includes leading the first experimental trial on calorie information on restaurant menus, evaluating food purchase restrictions on sugary foods for SNAP program improvement, and identifying sources of sodium in the American diet. Her expertise spans food and nutrition program evaluation, nutrition surveillance, dietary assessment, and food and nutrient database development. She has conducted significant research on obesity prevention and has been referenced in more than 30 domestic and international policy documents.

Her recent publications show consistent focus on nutrition policy evaluation, particularly regarding SNAP, dietary assessment methods, and obesity research. She has conducted significant work on time-restricted eating, online grocery shopping's impact on nutrition information, and international adaptations of dietary analysis tools. Her research trajectory demonstrates ongoing commitment to translating scientific findings into practical policy applications.

Dr. Harnack directs the University of Minnesota Nutrition Coordinating Center, which developed and maintains the Nutrition Data System for Research (NDSR) and the NCC Food and Nutrient Database. These tools support research at over 100 institutions, including major research universities and government agencies like NIH and NASA. The NCC Food and Nutrient Database is widely used in food frequency questionnaires and consumer diet tracking applications, making significant contributions to nutrition research infrastructure worldwide.