Research Team

Principal investigator

Claire Tugault-Lafleur, PhD, RD

Dr. Tugault-Lafleur is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nutrition at the University of Ottawa. She is also a bilingual registered dietitian with multidisciplinary training in public health nutrition and human geography. After graduating from McGill in dietetics and human nutrition, she worked as a pediatric dietitian in both clinical and community settings. Her PhD research focused on characterizing the diet quality of Canadian children on school days using large population-based dietary surveys. Dr Tugault-Lafleur's broad research interests include population-level dietary assessment, childcare and school food and eating environments, food parenting practices and community nutrition interventions.

Her research integrates both population-level and behavioural approaches to promote healthy eating among children. She is an affiliate researcher at at the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (Vancouver), the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) Research Institute and l’Institut du Savoir Montfort (Ottawa).

Masters Students

Gyselle de Geus

MSc Nutrition and Food Biosciences

Gyselle is a Master's candidate at the University of Ottawa, with a background in clinical nutrition. Her research focuses on the inequities of eating behaviours among Canadian youth. She believes that understanding the broader social and structural factors impacting health is key to creating policies and interventions that genuinely make a difference.

Rita Al Kazzi

MSc Nutrition and Food Biosciences

Rita is a second-year master’s student with a background in nutrition and dietetics, exploring the association between eating behaviours and mental health among Canadian youth. Passionate about promoting well-being through evidence-based research and education.

Emma Roe

MSc Nutrition and Food Biosciences

Emma recently graduated from uOttawa with an Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences, specializing in Integrative Biosciences. She chose to further her education in Nutrition at uOttawa, aiming to adopt a holistic approach to health.

Virginie Desgreniers

MSc Epidemiology

Virginie is a recently licensed dietitian with a varied background. She is passionate about population health and research, and chose to further her education to contribute to a healthier society by developing strong research skills.

Dalia Abi-Khattar

MSc Nutrition and Food Biosciences

With academic training in Nutrition and Dietetics, Dalia brings a deep interest in the science behind how food shapes health. Her approach blends curiosity with a commitment to practical impact, and she is especially drawn to projects that connect research with real-world applications in clinical and community settings.