Brian Lo

Dr. Lo is an assistant professor in the Department of Family Relations & Applied Nutrition at the University of Guelph.

He completed a bachelor of applied science degree in nutrition and food at Toronto Metropolitan University (2011) and a master of public health degree in community nutrition at the University of Toronto (2013). After serving as an independent research consultant for Toronto Public Health, Dr. Lo completed a PhD in community nutrition at Cornell University (2019) in Ithaca, New York, and a postdoctoral training program at Boston College School of Social Work (2022) in Boston, Massachusetts.

Dr. Lo's research focuses on improving the health of underserved populations, including rural residents, fathers, immigrants and postdoctoral fellows. He is particularly interested in exploring determinants of weight-related behaviours (e.g. nutrition, physical activity, mental and psychological health and sleep) in different social, cultural and environmental contexts.

He uses various methods (e.g. surveys, longitudinal cohort studies, interventions, scoping reviews, interviews and focus groups) to plan, manage and evaluate relevant health-enhancing strategies, and he employs community engagement and capacity-building approaches to conduct his research.

As a nutrition and health researcher, my overarching objective is to conduct innovative and timely research that improves the health of underrepresented populations, particularly fathers and their families. My research focuses on three primary areas:

1. patient-client relationships between fathers and registered dietitians,
2. fathers’ roles in their children’s diets and childhood obesity prevention, and
3. the impact of parenthood on fathers’ diets and health.

• Postdoctoral Fellow - Boston College School of Social Work, 2022
• PhD (Community Nutrition) - Cornell University, 2019
• MPH (Community Nutrition) - University of Toronto, 2013
• BASc (Nutrition and Food) - Toronto Metropolitan University, 2011

• NUTR*1010 Introduction to Nutrition
• NUTR*2500 Introduction to Food Systems
• NUTR*3070 Nutrition and Physical Activity Interventions
• NUTR*4900 Selected Topics in Human Nutrition - Community Nutrition
• FRAN*6000 Quantitative Research Methods
• FRAN*6510 Nutrition in the Community

Publications

*student mentee

Latkolik S*, Morelli P*, Park IY, Koop R*, Lo BK. Father-focused childhood obesity prevention interventions: a scoping review. Obesity Review. (in press) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40514785/

Wang Y, Lo BK, Park IY, Bauer KW, Davison KK, Haines J, Coley RL. Racial disparities in fathers’ food parenting practices and children’s diets. Child Development. (in press) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40491189/

Lo BK, Park IY, McTernan M, Wang Y, Cantu-Aldana A, McBride B, Bauer KW, Haines J, Davison KK. Validation of a brief food parenting measure for fathers: a test of factorial validity, measurement invariance, internal reliability, and concurrent validity. Appetite. 2025;206:107815. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39647579/

Park IY, Gago C, Grafft, N, Lo BK, Davison KK. Parent empowerment as a buffer between stress and parenting self-efficacy in immigrant parents. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health. 2025;27(2):268-276. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39663287/

Lo BK, Park IY, Choung D*, McTernan M, Sibley E, Davison KK. Examining the associations between mental health, life balance, work-methods autonomy and perceived boundary control among postdoctoral fellows. Frontiers in Psychology. 2024,15: 1416724. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11693439/

Lo BK, Park IY, Williams A. Stress interventions for immigrant parents in the United States: a scoping review protocol. JBI Evidence Synthesis. 2024;22(9):1926-1935. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38745472/

Grafft N, Lo BK, Easton SD, Pineros-Leano M, Davison KK. Maternal and paternal adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and offspring health and wellbeing: a scoping review. Maternal and Child Health Journal. 2024;28(1):52-66. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37914980/

Lo BK, McTernan M, Haines J, Savage JS, Kugler KC, Haneuse SJ, Redline S, Taveras EM, Davison KK. Development and psychometric properties of the Sleep Parenting Scale for Infants. Behavioral Medicine. 2023;49(2):151-161. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9348862/

Egan KA, Lo BK, Haneuse S, Davison KK, Redline S, Taveras EM. Associations of maternal consumption of sugary beverages in pregnancy with infant weight status. Academic Pediatrics. 2023;23(1):109-116. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9653508/

Lo BK, Haneuse SJ, McBride BA, Redline S, Taveras TM, Davison KK. Prospective associations between fathers’ engagement in infant caregiving and their weight-related behaviors and mental health. American Journal of Men’s Health. 2022;16(1):15579883221079152. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8882948/

Lo BK, Kang A, Haneuse SJ, Yu X, Ash T, Redline S, Taveras TM, Davison KK. Changes in fathers’ body mass index, sleep, and diet from pre to 12-months post birth: Exploring the moderating roles of parenthood experience and coparenting support. Annals of Behavioral Medicine. 2021;55(12):1211-1219. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8687129/

Lo BK, Graham ML, Folta SC, Strogatz D, Parry SA, Seguin-Fowler RA. Physical activity and healthy eating behavior changes among rural women: An exploratory mediation analysis of a randomized multilevel intervention trial. Translational Behavioral Medicine. 2021;11(10):1839-1848. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8541698/

Davison KK, Franckle RL, Lo BK, Ash T, Yu X, Haneuse SJ, Redline S, Taveras TM. Infant sugar sweetened beverage and 100% juice consumption: Racial/ethnic differences and links with fathers’ consumption in a longitudinal cohort. Preventive Medicine Report. 2021;22:101324. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7900833/

Lo BK, Graham ML, Eldridge G, Donoso MR, Folta SC, Strogatz D, Nelson ME, Paul LC, Parry SA, Seguin RA. Ripple effects of a community-based randomized trial for rural women: Strong Hearts, Healthy Communities. Obesity. 2020;28:1224-1234. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7311263/

Lo BK, Megiel S*, Liu E*, Folta SC, Graham ML, Seguin RA. Associations between frequency of food shopping at different food sources and fruit and vegetable intake among rural residents in upstate New York. Public Health Nutrition. 2019;22(13):2472-2478. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6688899/

Lo BK, Loui C*, Folta S, Flickinger A, Connor L, Liu E*, Megiel S*, Seguin RA. Self-efficacy and cooking confidence are associated with fruit and vegetable intake in a cross-sectional study with rural women. Eating Behaviors. 2019;33:34-39. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6655530/

Lo BK, Graham ML, Folta SC, Paul L, Strogatz D, Nelson ME, Parry SA, Carfagno ME, Wing D, Higgins M, Seguin RA. Examining the associations between Walk Score, perceived built environment, and physical activity behaviors among women participating in a community randomized lifestyle change intervention trial: Strong Hearts, Healthy Communities. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2019;16(5):849. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6427661/

Mah CL, Luongo G, Hasdell R, Taylor N, Lo BK. A systematic review of the effect of retail food environment interventions on diet and health with a focus on the enabling role of public policies. Current Nutrition Reports. 2019;8(4):411-428. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6904419/

Haynes-Maslow L, Osborne I, Jilcott Pitts S, Sitaker M, Byker Shanks C, Leone L, Maldonado A, McGuirt J, Andress L, Bailey-Davis L, Baquero B, Kolodinski J, Lo BK, Morgan EH, Seguin RA, Ammerman A. Rural corner store owners’ perceptions of stocking healthier foods in response to proposed SNAP retailer rule changes. Food Policy. 2018;81:58-66. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306919217308333?via%3Dihub

Haynes-Maslow L, Andress L, Jilcott Pitts S, Osborne I, Baquero B, Bailey-Davis L, Byker-Shanks C, Houghtaling B, Kolodinsky J, Lo BK, Morgan E, Piltch E, Prewitt E, Seguin RA, Ammerman A. Arguments used in public comments to support or oppose the USDA's minimum stocking requirements in 2016: A content analysis. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2018;118(9):1664-1672. https://www.jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672(17)31958-5/fulltext

Lo BK, Morgan EH, Folta S, Graham M, Nelson M, Jew N*, Moffat L*, Seguin RA. Environmental influences on physical activity among rural adults in Montana, United States: Views from built environment audits, resident focus groups, and key informant interviews. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2017;14(10):1173. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5664674/

Seguin RA, Lo BK, Sriram U, Connor LM, Totta A. Development and testing of a community audit tool to assess rural built environments: Inventories for Community Health Assessment in Rural Towns (iCHART). Preventive Medicine Report. 2017;7:169-175. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5496211/

Lo BK, Minaker, L, Mah CL, Cook B. Development and testing of the Toronto Nutrition Environment Measures Survey-Store (ToNEMS-S). Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2016;48(10):723-729. https://www.jneb.org/article/S1499-4046(16)30676-5/fulltext

Lo BK, Minaker L, Chan AN, Hrgetic J, Mah CL. Adaptation and validation of a Nutrition Environment Measures Survey for university Grab-and-Go establishments. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research. 2016;77(1):17-24. https://dcjournal.ca/doi/10.3148/cjdpr-2015-036?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub++0pubmed&

Gucciardi E, Chan VW, Lo BK, Fortugno M, Horodezny S, Swartzack S. Patients’ perspectives on their use of diabetes education centres in Peel-Halton region in Southern Ontario. Canadian Journal of Diabetes. 2012;36(4), 214–217. https://www.canadianjournalofdiabetes.com/article/S1499-2671%2812%2900194-3/fulltext