Jennifer Banuelos, M.A.S

Jennifer has been the Program Manager of the Institute for Global Nutrition since 2019, providing leadership, management, and operational support for the unit. She manages contracts and grants, budget and finance, personnel, and outreach and public relations and oversees all administrative activities in the unit.

Jennifer graduated from UC Davis with a BS in Clinical Nutrition in 2005 and Master of Advanced Study in Maternal and Child Nutrition in 2008, as a member of the program’s first graduating class. From 2005 – 2019, she worked at the UC Davis Human Lactation Center, where she was part of a research team that conducted research and developed educational interventions to address barriers to optimal infant- and child-feeding practices. With Dr. Jane Heinig, she developed and tested the “Baby Behavior” intervention, showing that teaching parents about normal infant behavior was associated with higher breastfeeding rates and lower rates of infant overweight among low-income infants participating in California WIC program. After the success of the Baby Behavior intervention in California, Jennifer traveled around the country educating public health professionals on the Baby Behavior curriculum, which is now used in more than 40 states.

Favorite Bands/Musicians
The Chicks and Brandi Carlile

Dream Vacation
Traveling across Europe with my husband

Favorite TV Show
The Good Place