Dr. Emily Ventura is a nutrition educator, public health advocate, writer, and cook.

A California Bay Area native, Emily completed her undergraduate studies at Cornell University where she received a BA in Biology in Society with an additional concentration in Latin American Studies. She worked in public relations in the arenas of environmental protection and food and also as a cook before starting graduate school. She went on to complete her Masters in Public Health and Doctorate of Philosophy in Preventive Medicine at the University of Southern California.

Emily has 10 years of research experience in public health with a focus on dietary strategies for the prevention of obesity, diabetes, and cancer. Her research has been published in scientific journals such as Obesity, the Journal of Pediatrics, and the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. She has also co-written Op-Eds with Dr. Michael Goran about diet and children’s health which have been published in the Los Angeles Times, the Huffington Post, and the Washington Post

An advocate for community health, Emily has worked as a nutrition educator for children and families, including interning at the Edible Schoolyard in Berkeley, California and teaching and managing programs in the greater Los Angeles area for the California Nutrition Network. An enthusiastic and experienced cook, Emily loves to get kids and their families excited about eating well by encouraging them to source fresh, seasonal ingredients and prepare them simply. She was invited by the Los Angeles Times to conduct Pantry Makeovers for LA residents, in which she helped them restock their pantries and refrigerators and refresh their recipes to make them healthier. Advocating for access to healthy food for all children, Emily has led public health campaigns for Slow Food International as well as the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation. Recognition for her work has included receiving the National Cancer Institute’s Trainee of Excellence Award and being selected for the “eHow 100” list of women who are have made innovative shifts in their careers and have had a positive impact in their communities.

Emily has spent extensive time abroad, including studying food and culture in Ecuador and serving as a Fulbright Scholar in Italy, where she taught Public Health Nutrition at the University of Gastronomic Sciences and conducted research at the University of Verona. She currently lives in the UK with her two young sons and works as a writer and recipe developer.