John T. Cook, PhD, MAEd

JTC

 

Research Scientist and Co-Principal Investigator

Email: john.cook(at)bmc.org 
Tel:      (617) 414-5129

 

 


John Cook is one of the Children’s HealthWatch Principal Investigators.  His research interests include examining the effects of hunger, food security and energy security on children’s health and well-being and ways to increase access to affordable, healthy food. Research in progress is related to effects of food insecurity at its lowest levels of severity, including “marginal food security.” Topics of greatest concern at present are global climate disruption and diminishing fossil-fuel supplies, and their implications for low-income families’ economic viability, for food availability and affordability, and for public health.

Prior to joining Children’s HealthWatch, Dr. Cook was the Research Director at the Center on Hunger, Poverty and Nutrition Policy at Tufts University School of Nutrition Science and Policy.  He is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Boston University School of Medicine.

Dr. Cook received his BA from the University of Alabama in Mathematics and Spanish, and his MAEd from Arizon State University in Educational Psychology.  He received his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Planning for Developing Areas with concentrations in Demography and Population Studies and Economics.


Areas of Expertise:

 

Awards:

While at Tufts University, Dr. Cook was Principal Investigator for the Federal Government's Food Security Measurement Study that developed measures of food security, food insecurity and hunger for the U.S. population.  He received the School of Nutrition Science and Policy Dean's Council award for outstanding faculty members in recognition of his leadership of that research project.

Selected peer-reviewed publications 

  • Cook J, Frank D, Casey P, Black M, Chilton M, Ettinger De Cuba S, Appugliese D, Coleman S, Heeren T, Berkowitz C, Cutts D. A Brief Indicator of Household Energy Security: Associations with Food Security, Child Health and Child Development in U.S. Infants and Toddlers. Pediatrics. 2008 (122):e867-e875.

  • Cook JT, Frank DA. Food Security, Poverty, and Human Development in the United States.  Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 2008 (OnlineEarly Articles). doi:10.1196/annals.  1425.001, http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/full/10.1196/annals.1425.001?cookieSet=1.

  • Rose-Jacobs R, Black MM, Casey PH, Cook JT, Cutts DB, Chilton M, Heeren T, Levenson SM, Meyers AF, Frank DA. Household Food Insecurity: Associations with at-risk infant and toddler development. Pediatrics. 2008 Jan; 121(1): 65-72.

  • Cook JT, Frank DA, Levenson SM, Neault NB, Heeren TC, Black MM, Berkowitz C, Casey PH, Meyers AF, Cutts DB, Chilton M.  Child food insecurity increases risks posed by household food insecurity to young children’s health.  J Nutr.  2006;136:1073-1076.

  • Skalicky A, Meyers A, Adams W, Yang Z, Cook J, Frank DA. Child Food Insecurity and Iron Deficiency Anemia in Low-Income Infants and Toddlers in the United States. Maternal and Child Health. 2005 Nov.;19:1-9.

  • Black MM, Cutts D, Frank D, Geppert J, Skalicky A, Levensen S, Casey P, Berkowitz C, Zaldivar N, Cook J, Meyers A, Heeren T. WIC and Infants’ Growth, Health, and Food Security: A Multisite Surveillance Study. Pediatrics.  2004; 114(1):169-76.

  • Cook JT, Frank DA, Berkowitz C, Black MM, Casey PH, Cutts DB, Meyers AF, Zaldivar N, Skalicky A, Levenson SM, Heeren T, Nord M. Food Insecurity is Associated with Adverse Health Outcomes among Human Infants and Toddlers. J Nutr. 2004 Jun; 134(6):1432-8.

  • Cook JT. Food Security. Encyclopedia of Food Science and Nutrition, Elsevier Science Ltd, London, 2003.

  • Cook J.T., Frank DA, Berkowitz C, Black MM, Casey PH, Cutts DB, Meyers AF, Zaldivar N, Skalicky A, Levenson S, Heeren T.  Welfare Reform and the Health of Young Children: A Sentinel Survey in 6 US Cities. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med.  2002; 156:678-684.

  • Anderson, MD, Cook JT. “Does Food Security Require Local Food Systems?” In Harris, J, (Ed.) Rethinking Sustainability: Power, Knowledge and Institutions, University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, MI, 2001.

  • Bickel G, Nord M, Price C, Hamilton W and Cook J. Guide to Measuring Household Food Security, Revised 2000, USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Alexandria, VA, March 2000.

  • Anderson MD and Cook JT. “Community Food Security: Practice in Need of Theory?” Agriculture and Human Values, 1999; 16(2):141-150, special issue on “Restructuring Food Systems: Research and Policy Issues.”

  • Cook JT. The Food Stamp Program and low-income legal immigrants. Nutrition Reviews.1998;56(7)218-221.

  • Hamilton WL, Cook JT, et al. “Household Food Security in the United States in 1995: Technical Report.” A report provided to USDA/FCS under Contract No. 53-3198-5-028 by Abt Associates Inc., Alexandria, VA, September 1997.

  • Hamilton WL, Cook JT, et al. Household food security in the United States in 1995: Summary report of the food security measurement project. A report provided to USDA/FCS under Contract No. 53-3198-5-028 by Abt Associates Inc., Alexandria, VA. September 1997.