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.
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
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
2024
Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.)
2024
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
2022
Nature Communications
2022
BMJ Open
2021
Research Square Platform LLC
2021
Frontiers in Public Health
2021
Maternal & Child Nutrition
2021
Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.)
2020
Public Health Nutrition
2020
Public Health Nutrition
