Supervisory team
LSHTM
- Lead supervisor: Shunmay Yeung ([email protected])
Nagasaki University
- Supervisor name: Greg Nishihara ([email protected])
Project
In the context of climate change and health (or “eco-health) “nature based solutions”, “bottom up approaches”, “circular economy” approaches have recently been advocated in tackling the challenge. Although not named as such, many of these concepts have been long been integral to Japanese culture including a deep appreciation of the relationship between the sources of food, nutrition, health and the land/sea environment; and is reflected both at a policy level, and in daily life. Specifically in relation to food and nutrition, the Japanese diet is traditionally very diverse and includes a wide range of plants making it relatively “planet-friendly”. Specifcally, a wide range of seaweeds have traditionally been eaten in Japan. Not only are they potentially an excellent source of a wide range of nutrients but increasing their cultivation and use has many other potential benefits including carbon capture.
At a policy level, Japan has a unique school “shoku-iku ”food and education” programme which incorporates both the provision of nutritious school lunches, and the education about nutrition and health with children (and their parents). The local authorities with responsibility for the designing and implementing the policies, often incorporate local products including a broad range of plant-based food (including seaweed).
Thus there are exciting opportunities to learn and share from some of the approaches and policies in Japan taking advantage of the complementary strengths of LSHTM, and Nagasaki University.
Professor Shunmay Yeung (LSHTM) is a paediatrician and with a keen interest in planetary health, currently on study leave in Japan where she is a visiting professor at Nagasaki University . Professor Greg Nishihara (Nagasaki University) is a world leading researcher on seaweed, and PI of the Blue Carbon project.
This a new collaboration and the supervisory team welcome approaches from potential PhD students with specific research ideas. Below we describe is one potential project idea.
Aim
To carry out a comprehensive comparison of the Japan and UK School Lunch programmes from a planetary health perspective incorporating benefits and costs for the child/family, society and environment.
Potential objectives to consider
- To describe and compare the nutritional content of typical school meals between a coastal district in Japan (Nagasaki) and UK (with special attention to the provision of seaweeds in school meals)
- To estimate and compare the environmental cost of the selected school meal programmes in the UK and Japan
- To estimate the economic costs of the selected school meal programmes
- To develop a comprehensive model for comparing the costs and benefits of school meal programmes incorporating financial costs, nutritional value, and carbon emissions.
- To incorporate the costs and benefits in to the model to perform a comprehensive comparative analysis
- To understand the views and preferences of students, teachers, and other stakeholders with regards school meals
Potential methods
- Quantitate analysis of nutritional content
- Quantitative estimations of environmental impacts associated with school meal programmes
- Modelling of health and planetary benefits
- Qualitative interviews and focus group interviews
The role of LSHTM and NU in this collaborative project
This is an exciting new research area that will bring together the strategic priorities (Planetary Health) and strengths of LSHTM and NU.
The student will be jointly supervised by Professor Greg Nishihara, Professor of Marine Algal Ecology and Physiology, Nagasaki University and Professor Shunmay Yeung, Professor of Global Health and Infectious Disease.
Depending on the interests and background of prospective students, they will ensure that the supervisory and advisory team include the necessary complementary expertise for example in Economics or Nutrition.
Skills we expect a student to develop/acquire whilst pursuing this project
This will depend on the student's skills and interest but this may include:
- Mixed methods research
- Quantitative analysis skills in (eg estimation of carbon emission associated with school meal programmes)
- Qualitative skills (interviews and focus-group discussion)
- Understanding of the Shoku-iku system and it’s potential application more broadly
Particular prior educational requirements for a student undertaking this project
If undertaking the example project described i.e. Comparative analysis of school meal programmes between Japan (Shoku-iku) and UK from perspective of child and planetary health, the student should have the following:
- A postgraduate qualification (or equivalent experience) in Nutrition, Education or Economics
- Evidence of an understanding of Japanese language and culture