Bio

Annie Lalande is a PhD student co-supervised by Drs. Jiaying Zhao and Andrea MacNeill, a surgical oncologist at Vancouver General Hospital leading the UBC Planetary Healthcare Lab. She is interested in understanding how considering food as a therapeutic intervention in healthcare can impact the health of patients, healthcare systems and the planet. Her research involves the development and implementation of a feedback-informed and evidence-based nutritious and low-carbon menu, evaluating its impact on patients’ experience and recovery from illness, and on planetary health. She is working in collaboration with Vancouver Coastal Health, and is a team leader for the Vancouver team with Nourish Healthcare, a multidisciplinary community of practice leveraging food in healthcare systems to improve community well-being, promote equity and mitigate climate change.

Before Annie joined IRES in 2020, she obtained her MD degree from McGill University. She has since moved from Montreal to Vancouver to pursue her residency in general surgery, of which she has already completed three years. She is excited to take a temporary step back from the clinical setting to investigate avenues to improve healthcare sustainability. On her down time, she enjoys spending time outdoors, backcountry skiing, climbing and kitesurfing, as well as cooking.