Nutrition Team

Amy Saxe-Custack

Amy Saxe-Custack, PhD, MPH, RDN, Assistant Professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition at MSU, currently serves as the Nutrition Director for the Pediatric Public Health Initiative. A long-time resident of Genesee County, Dr. Saxe-Custack is dedicated to the evaluation and expansion of nutrition programs that target children and families living in Flint, with a particular focus on improving access to fresh foods. Much of this work has been initiated in partnership with the Flint Farmers’ Market (FFM) and Hurley Children’s Center (HCC) to examine the impact of an innovative fruit and vegetable prescription program for pediatric patients. Through a recent grant award, Dr. Saxe-Custack will work with partners to expand both the fruit and vegetable prescription program and Flint Kids Cook.

Gayle Shipp
Gayle Shipp, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health, is a registered dietician nutritionist. She is engaged in several reserch projects with the overarching goal of improving materanl and child health equity, specifically breastfeeding related disparities. Her research interests also spans diet and nutrition-related health disparities impacting vulnerable populations, food access and food choice in underserved areas, and community nutrition.
Sarah Egan

Sarah Egan, MPH, RD, currently serves as the Project Coordinator for the Pediatric Public Health Initiative cooking and nutrition programs. Ms. Egan has experience teaching nutrition education to individuals of all ages in various settings including schools, community centers, and food pantries. She is passionate about increasing health outcomes through nutrition education, community engagement, and food system modifications that support healthy eating. Her work specifically focuses on the management and expansion of Flint Kids Cook.

Katie Hacker

Katie Hacker, RD, currently serves as a Research Assistant for the Pediatric Public Health Initiative and is a registered dietitian for Hurley Children’s Clinic. Ms. Hacker has experience educating and providing nutrition information to children and adults of all ages. She aims to provide education to children and their parents to allow not only essential growth and development for children but also to promote a positive relationship with food and their bodies. Ms. Hacker currently works on data collection for the fruit and vegetable prescription program study to improve community health outcomes.

Bridget Farmer

Bridget Farmer currently serves as a Research Assistant for the Pediatric Public Health Initiative. Ms. Farmer works on dietary data collection to help learn the impact of a fruit and vegetable prescription program on diet and weight, food security, and access to fresh foods. As a Flint resident, she is passionate about improving nutrition programs available to children and families in the Flint community.

Kimberly Pulka is a certified Community Health Worker and serves as a Research Assistant for the Pediatric Public Health Initiative. Ms. Pulka’s passions lie in exploring the interface of public health and social justice, and she aims to use her experience in research, immigrant rights activism, health outreach and education to promote health equity in the Flint community and beyond. Ms. Pulka currently works on dietary data collection for the pediatric and prenatal Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Programs.
Anna Sampson is a D.O. candidate at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She currently serves as a Student Research Assistant for the Pediatric Public Health Initiative. Ms. Sampson’s work focuses on data collection to help learn the impact of a fruit and vegetable prescription program. Her main passions are preventative medicine and addressing health disparities. She aims to learn about the Flint community and learn how she can integrate community-based research and healthcare to improve health outcomes.

The PPHI Nutrition Team's Projects Include:

  • Increasing community-wide breastfeeding initiatives
  • Flint Kids Cook
  • WIC co-location with Hurley Children's Center
  • Nutrition education (classes/RD)
  • Fruit and vegetable prescription program  
  • Double Up Food Bucks expansion
  • Mobile food access
  • Healthy Food for Healthy Families voucher program

Teams