Valisa E. Hedrick

Valisa E. Hedrick is an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise at Virginia Tech and Director of the Dietary Assessment Laboratory. She holds a PhD from Virginia Tech (2011) and has extensive experience in nutrition research, including roles as a Postdoctoral Scholar, Adjunct Professor, and clinical dietitian. Her work focuses on dietary assessment methodology, non-nutritive sweetener effects on diabetes, and evaluating nutrition interventions in underserved populations.

Education includes a B.S. in Dietetics (2006), RDN certification (2007), and a graduate certificate in Preparing the Future Professoriate (2009). Awards highlight her contributions to dietary assessment tools like the BEVQ-15 and the Market Basket Assessment Tool, critical for SNAP-Ed programs. Her NIH-funded research investigates non-nutritive sweeteners' impact on glycemic control in prediabetes populations.

• Research Tools: BEVQ-15 (SNAP-Ed beverage assessment), Market Basket Assessment Tool
• Key Projects: NIH studies on NNS-glycemic pathways, obesity prevention, and sustainable dietary patterns
• Awards: VCE Evaluation Award (2023), First Author Award (2017), Young Investigator Travel Award (2016)

Labs/Teams: Leads the Dietary Assessment Laboratory and collaborates with SNAP-Ed evaluation teams and multidisciplinary research groups on diabetes prevention and food retail interventions.