Ph.D. (The U.W.I.); M.Sc., R.D. (St. Louis University, U.S.A.)
INSTRUCTOR III
BIO:
In 1997, my class was the first to graduate with the BSc in Human Ecology, at the U.W.I. I received First Class Honors and was awarded the best graduating student. I then became a U.S. certified Registered Dietetian and I also gained U.S. certification in ‘Childhood and Adolescent Weight Management’ in 2008. My PhD research focused on childhood obesity. I recently did an oral presentation at the 6th World Congress on Obesity in Canada and I have been invited to talk at the 10th International Congress on Childhood Obesity and Nutrition in June 2017 in Rome, Italy.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Instructor III – teaching and research
QUALIFICATIONS:
- NIH Training Workshop - "Improving Chronic Disease in the Caribbean through Evidence-Based Behavioral and Social Interventions" (July 21-23, 2015): U.S.A.
- PhD Human Ecology with a specialization in Nutritional Sciences (September 2014): The U.W.I., St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad
- Certification in Childhood and Adolescent Weight Management (2008): U.S.A.
- M.Sc. Medical Dietetics and Dietetic Internship (2004): St. Louis University, MO.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ACTIVITIES:
- Project Co-ordinator Take 10!: ILSI (International Life Sciences Institute)
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics /AND (U.S.A.) – Active Member
- Franciscan Institute for Personal Family Development (Trinidad & Tobago) – Nutrition Educator
EXPERTISE:
My areas of expertise are teaching and research. I have lectured in almost all courses offered by the DAEE and my research has focused on: childhood obesity (particularly preschool children), physical activity, mindful eating, picky eating, polycystic ovarian syndrome, sensory analysis and food safety among others.
RESEARCH INTERESTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS:
My primary interest lies in improving the health status of the Caribbean people by promoting a culture of health and responsibility, and this would be achieved by being part of a team that excels in caring, quality and innovation. I am particularly interested in the area of childhood obesity – treatment and prevention strategies that are most feasible and workable at the local level. This includes, but is not limited to exploratory work in the areas of parental feeding styles and practices; parental perception of snacking and weight status of children; picky eating in children; nutrition knowledge among parents and moving from a state of ‘knowing’ to one of ‘doing’; physical activity: trends and patterns; nutrition education for preschool children, teachers and parents; policy at the local level; and the role that ethnicity plays in obesity in our population. I also believe we should work to increase awareness of the obesity epidemic among our major stakeholders, so we can use a joint and collaborative effort to tackle this epidemic. I have published papers in this field, presented at both local and international levels, and I am about to begin co-ordinating a physical activity program geared at increasing movement among our children.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:
- Rocke, K., Garib, A., Ramcharitar-Bourne, A., Nichols, S., Dalrymple, N. Public Perception of the Introduction of a Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax in Trinidad: A Caribbean Perspective. Presented at International Symposium Prevention Models of Obesity and Cardiovascular Diseases, OAIE Vienna Austria. November 2016. (Poster and Guided Oral)
- Rocke, K. Nichols, S., Dalrymple, N. and Ramcharitar-Bourne, A. Waist Circumference and Waist-to-Height Ratio Predict Sodium Intake among Caribbean Adults. Presented at the International Symposium Prevention Models of Obesity and Cardiovascular Diseases, OAIE Vienna Austria. November 2016. (Poster and Guided Oral)
- Ramcharitar-Bourne, A; Nichols, S. and Badrie, N. “Impact of nutrition policy in Preschools – A Caribbean perspective” for oral presentation at the 6th World Congress on Obesity, Toronto Canada. August 2016. Journal of Obesity and Weight Loss Therapy 2016, 6 (4 Suppl): 41. ISSN: 2165-7904. (Conference Talk)
- Ramcharitar-Bourne, A; Nichols, S. and Badrie, N. Predictive Utility of Anthropometric Based Cut-offs in Assessing Excess Adiposity among Preschool Children in a Multiethnic Population. West Indian Medical Journal (e-published 15 March 2016). DOI: 10.7727/wimj.2015.485. (Paper)
- Ramcharitar-Bourne, A. Ph.D Thesis. Childhood obesity among Trinidadian Preschoolers: Implications for Body Composition, lifestyle factors, parental feeding strategies and school food policy. Submitted in 2012 and again on September 5, 2014. (PhD Thesis)
- Ramcharitar-Bourne, A; Nichols, S. and Badrie, N. Correlates of adiposity in a Caribbean preschool population. Public Health Nutrition 2013: 1-9. doi:10.1017/S1368980013001900. (Paper)
- Ramcharitar-Bourne, A; Nichols, S. and Badrie, N. Anthropometric characteristics and predictors of adiposity among preschool children in a multiethnic population. FASEB Journal, March 17, 2011 25:lb232. (Poster)
- Ramcharitar, A., Badrie, N., Mattfeld-Beman, M., Matsuo, H. and Ridley, C. Consumer acceptability of muffins with ground flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum). Journal of Food Science - Sensory and Nutritive Qualities of Food 2005; 70: S504-S507. (Paper)
- Masters Thesis: Ramcharitar, A. (2004). Acceptability of a bread product prepared using ground flaxseed. (Thesis)
- Abstract entitled “Diagnostic performance of recommended anthropometric indices in predicting excess adiposity in a Caribbean preschool population”. Authors: Ramcharitar-Bourne, A; Nichols, S. and Badrie, N. Submitted to NAASO: North American Association for the Study of Obesity for presentation in October 2011. (Poster)
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Email: anisa.ramcharitar@sta.uwi.edu
Telephone number(s): 662-2002 ext 84313
Office hours: Semester 2, 2017: Mondays 9-12 or by appointment
Postal Address: Room 2, Ground Floor, Dudley Huggins Building, DAEE
