About the Centre

The Joannah & Brian Lawson Centre for Child Nutrition connects scholars, health practitioners, patients and knowledge resources to improve the nutrition of children, in Canada and around the world.

We are a network of researchers and educators affiliated with the University of Toronto, working toward better lifelong health through reduced child overweight, obesity, malnutrition and chronic disease.

The Challenge

More than 30 per cent of Canadian children and youth are overweight or obese, costing our health-care system more than $7 billion per year. Globally, more than 200 million children under age five suffer from stunting and wasting due to poor nutrition, and hundreds of millions more are food-insecure. The Lawson Centre is tackling this epidemic through research, education and policy development on nutrition and health.

Vision

Healthier children living longer through better nutrition.

Mission

Support research, education and policy to improve nutrition in children, families and communities in Canada and globally.

Priorities

We have four strategies to address overweight, obesity, malnutrition and food insecurity in children:

Who We Are

Three academic departments in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine lead the Lawson Centre:

• Nutritional Sciences
• Family & Community Medicine
• Paediatrics

Together, we create new opportunities for research and education in child and maternal health, from studies on how the microbiome affects growth and development, to e-learning technologies that change how families manage diet and chronic disease. We work with academics across many fields, hospitals, industry, non-governmental organizations, advocates, and governments — locally and internationally — to find 21st century solutions to problems in nutrition and health.

Explore our website to learn more about our research, education and policy work. View our YouTube channel to see educational micro lectures and whiteboard videos.