Mary LAbbe, Professor Emeritus

Dept of Nutritional Sciences, and Director, WHO Collaborating Centre on Nutrition Policy for Chronic Disease Prevention
University of Toronto

Dr. L’Abbé is a Professor Emeritus and former Chair, Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, where she leads a research group on Food and Nutrition Policy for Population Health. In 2018, Professor L’Abbé was named to the Order of Canada; she is an inaugural Fellow of the CNS-SCN and a fellow of the ASN and the International Union of Nutritional Sciences and has received numerous national and international awards for her research and nutrition leadership. Her research examines the nutritional quality of the Canadian food supply, nutrient profiling methods, dietary intake patterns, and consumer research on food choices related to obesity and NCDs. Professor L’Abbé has authored over 330 peer-reviewed scientific publications, book chapters and government reports and has chaired or participated on numerous expert committees for the World Health Organization (WHO), PAHO, and the US National Academies of Science Engineering and Medicine for DRIs. She is the Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre on Nutrition Policy for Chronic Disease Prevention and Chairs the PAHO/WHO TAG on on reducing dietary salt/sodium to prevent cardiovascular disease population-wide. A graduate of McGill, Professor L’Abbé began her research career at Health Canada, rising to Director, Bureau of Nutritional Sciences, before joining the University of Toronto.

Setting the stage: terminology, guidelines, and policy actions for sugar and non-nutritive sweeteners