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Dr Thalia Sparling

Assistant Professor

United Kingdom

Thalia Sparling is an Assistant Professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Her thematic foci are the causal pathways between food systems and nutrition/health, especially the links between food systems, nutrition and mental health. Methodologically, Thalia is experienced in large-scale evidence (and methods) synthesis, path analysis, and implementation research.

Thalia holds a PhD from the University of Heidelberg’s Institute of Public Health. Her dissertation examined the association of food access, diet and nutrition with depression in women, particularly in Bangladesh. Prior to this, she worked in South Sudan as a Technical Advisor to the South Sudan Guinea Worm Eradication Program with the Carter Center. Thalia holds an MPH from Columbia University’s Program on Forced Migration and Health, and a BA from Smith College in Anthropology.

Affiliations

Department of Population Health
Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health

Teaching

2022: Lecturer

2021-2022: Lecture facilitator and moderator, Nutrition in Emergencies Module for Nutrition in Global Health MSc

2021: Tutor, Epidemiology (EPM301) Outbreak Module Distance Learning Course.

2020: "Pathways between agriculture, food systems and nutrition – global perspectives." Guest lecture for London Metropolitan University

2019: Qualitative Methods 101, Agriculture, Nutrition and Health (ANH) Academy Week, Hyderabad, India

2016-2017, 2019: Institute of Public Health, University of Heidelberg: Rapid Appraisal in Public Health Emergencies, for Public Health Anthropology short course, Master Program

2017: Panel speaker, Disease Elimination and Eradication in the 21st century, 35th Meeting of the German Society of Tropical Paediatrics, Heidelberg, Germany

2015-2017: Institute of Public Health, University of Heidelberg: Disease Surveillance and Eradication, for Disease Control short course, Master Program

2014: Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University: Guest Lecture, Guinea Worm Disease and Public Health in South Sudan: lessons from the field

Research

Public Health and epidemiology, mental health, food systems and nutrition, implementation science in nutrition, food-based approaches to malnutrition, social nutrition, methods and metrics for agriculture-nutrition pathways

Research Area
Agriculture
Behaviour change
Child health
Conflict
Equity
Ethics
Evaluation
Food
Gender
Global Health
Hygiene
Impact evaluation
Maternal health
Methodology
Natural disasters
Parasites
Perinatal health
Public health
Social and structural determinants of health
Surveillance
Systematic reviews
Violence
Anthropology
Epidemiology
Nutrition
Operational research
Implementation science
Qualitative research
Mixed methods research
Disease and Health Conditions
Malnutrition
Mental health
Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)
Country
Bangladesh
India
South Sudan
Region
South Asia
Sub-Saharan Africa (all income levels)

Selected Publications

Intersections of climate change with food systems, nutrition, and health: an overview and evidence map
SPARLING, TM; Offner, C; Deeney, M; Denton, P; Bash, K; Juel, R; Moore, S; Kadiyala, S;
2024
Research Square Platform LLC
Systematic evidence and gap map of research linking food security and nutrition to mental health.
SPARLING, TM; DEENEY, M; Cheng, B; Han, X; Lier, C; Lin, Z; OFFNER, C; Santoso, MV; Pfeiffer, E; Emerson, JA; Amadi, FM; Mitu, K; Corvalan, C; Verdeli, H; Araya, R; KADIYALA, S;
2022
Nature Communications
Systematic evidence and gap map of research linking food security and nutrition to mental health
SPARLING, T; Deeney, M; Cheng, B; Han, X; Lier, C; Lin, Z; Offner, C; Santoso, M; Pfeiffer, E; Emerson, J; Amadi, F; Mitu, K; Corvalan, C; Verdeli, H; Araya, R; KADIYALA, S;
2021
Research Square Platform LLC
Global Mental Health and Nutrition: Moving Toward a Convergent Research Agenda.
SPARLING, TM; Cheng, B; DEENEY, M; Santoso, MV; Pfeiffer, E; Emerson, JA; Amadi, FM; Mitu, K; Corvalan, C; Verdeli, H; Araya, R; KADIYALA, S;
2021
Frontiers in Public Health
Maternal depression is associated with less dietary diversity among rural Nepali children.
Miller, LC; Neupane, S; SPARLING, TM; Shrestha, M; Joshi, N; Lohani, M; Thorne-Lyman, A;
2021
Maternal & Child Nutrition
Parental depression and nutrition: findings from a cross-sectional household survey in Nepal.
Adhikari, RP; Williamson, R; SPARLING, TM; FERGUSON, E; Cunningham, K;
2020
Public Health Nutrition
Depression among women of reproductive age in rural Bangladesh is linked to food security, diets and nutrition
SPARLING, TM; Waid, JL; Wendt, AS; Gabrysch, S;
2020
Public Health Nutrition
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