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Dr. Elder Garcia Varela is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health at the University of Michigan with Dr. Kate Bauer. Dr. Varela received her PhD in Health Education and Behavior from the University of Florida in Summer 2023. Elder is a certified health education specialist (CHES) and a fellow at the Early Childhood Work Group at the Nutrition and Obesity Policy Research and Evaluation Network (NOPREN).
Dr. Varela's research focuses on exploring the multiple influences (i.e., behavioral, social, environmental, etc.) on young children's nutritional intake and weight status; and translating her research findings into innovative and culturally appropriate nutrition promotion and obesity prevention programs and actionable policy recommendations. Specifically, Dr. Varela is interested in understanding the influences of the family structure and other social supports affecting young children's eating preferences and behaviors.
Dr. Varela is also an Adjunct Faculty at the Department of Health Sciences at the University of Central Florida. She currently teaches Preventative Health.