Lynn Brann

Education

• Ph.D., University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, Area of Emphasis: Advisor: Jean Skinner, PhD, RD
• M.S., University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, . Major: Nutrition Science Area of Emphasis: Advisor: Jean Skinner, PhD, RD
• B.S., University of Maine, Orono, ME, . Major: Human Nutrition

Specialization

• Child nutrition; Dietary Assessment; Nutrition Education

Active Research

Sponsored Research

• Bernard Appiah (Co-Investigator) Lynn Brann (Co-Investigator) Katie Kidwell (Co-Investigator) Jianxuan Liu (Co-Investigator) Maryam Yuhas (PD/PI) , SweetTexts+: A Mobile Parenting Intervention To Reduce Preschool Sugar Intake And Explore Machine Learning-Informed Personalization - Allen Foundation, Inc. - Not for Profit/Foundation. End Date: 2028-12-31
• Joon Young Kim (PD/PI) Lynn Brann (Co-Investigator) Brooks Gump (Co-Investigator) , Synergistic Effects of HIIT and TRE on Type 2 Diabetes Risk Reduction in Youth with Obesity - National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases/NIH/DHHS - Federal Agencies Grant. End Date: 2028-06-30

Published Scholarship

Publications

• Kristen DavisRachel RazzaLynn BrannGabriel J. MerrinIntegrating Mindful Feeding into Responsive Feeding Guidance: A Perspective. Maternal & Child Nutrition
• Yuhas, M., Kidwell, K.M., Hua, X. and Brann, L.S., 2026. Low‐Income Preschool Children’s Free Sugar Consumption and Its Association With the Home Environment. Obesity Science & Practice, [online] 12(3). https://doi.org/10.1002/osp4.70161.
• Yuhas, M., Kidwell, K.M., Hua, X., Smith, G.M. and Brann, L.S., 2026. Parenting Style, Caregiver Stress, and Energy-Dense Feeding Episodes in Low-Income Preschoolers: A Pilot Ecological Momentary Assessment Study. Nutrients, [online] 18(9), p.1356. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18091356.
• Voss, M.A., Pilkay, S.R., Hill, D.T., Brann, L.S., Bendinskas, K., Parsons, P.J., Palmer, C.D. and Gump, B.B., 2026. Epigenetic Regulation of the BDNF Gene by Molybdenum in 9 to 11‐Year‐Old Children: A Targeted Gene DNA Methylation Study. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, [online] 70(5). https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.70426.
• Hill, D.T., Petroni, M., Jandev, V., Bendinskas, K., Brann, L.S., MacKenzie, J.A., Palmer, C.D., Parsons, P.J., Collins, M.B. and Gump, B.B., 2025. Linking soil-metal concentrations with children’s blood and urine biomarkers in Syracuse, NY. Environmental Research, [online] 279, p.121816. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2025.121816.
• Razza, R. and Brann, L., 2025. Integrating Social Emotional Learning, mindfulness, and nutrition education into curricula to promote self-regulation and healthy eating behaviors among preschoolers. Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy, [online] 5, p.100081. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sel.2025.100081.
• Brann, L.S., 2023. Dr. Yum’s Preschool Food Adventure. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, [online] 55(9), p.690. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2023.05.251.
• Gump, B.B., Hill, D.T., Robinson, M., Kannan, K., Heffernan, K., Atallah-Yunes, N.H., Brann, L., Parsons, P.J., Palmer, C.D., MacKenzie, J.A., Goodrich, J.M. and Bendinskas, K., 2023. Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and lead (Pb) as “cardiovascular disruptors” in 9–11-year-old children living in Syracuse, New York, United States. Environmental Research, [online] 236, p.116758. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2023.116758.
• Gump, B.B., Hruska, B., Heffernan, K., Brann, L.S., Voss, M., Labrie-Cleary, C., Cheng, H., MacKenzie, J.A., Woolf-King, S., Maisto, S. and Bendinskas, K., 2023. Race, cortisol, and subclinical cardiovascular disease in 9- to 11-year-old children. Health Psychology, [online] 42(9), pp.657–667. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0001300.
• Gump, B.B., Heffernan, K., Brann, L.S., Hill, D.T., Labrie-Cleary, C., Jandev, V., MacKenzie, J.A., Atallah-Yunes, N.H., Parsons, P.J., Palmer, C.D., Roberts, A.A. and Bendinskas, K., 2023. Exposure to Arsenic and Subclinical Cardiovascular Disease in 9- to 11-Year-Old Children, Syracuse, New York. JAMA Network Open, [online] 6(6), p.e2321379. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.21379.

Presentations

• Lynn BrannRachel RazzaKristen DavisXiafei WangCentering parent voices: Using serial focus groups to adapt a mindful eating curriculum for low-income families. [Oral Presentation], Washington, DC, 2026-05-01.
• Rachel RazzaKristen DavisLynn BrannListening to learn: Using participatory methods to adapt a mindful eating curriculum for immigrant families. [Oral Presentation], Washington, DC, 2026-05-01.
• Lynn BrannRachel RazzaKristen DavisRylee PepperLexie LazarusQuinn GonzalezZachary Weintraub (2025). Feasibility and Acceptability of a Parent-Inclusive Mindful Eating Program [Poster]. Presented at Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo, Nashville, TN, 2025-10-14.
• Rachel RazzaKristen DavisRylee PepperLexie LazarusQuinn GonzalezLynn BrannNourishing Families: Parents as Partners in a Mindful Eating Intervention for Preschool Children [Oral Presentation]. Presented at Mindfulness Pre-conference at the Society for Research in Child Development, 2025-05-01.
• Kristen DavisRachel RazzaLynn Brann (2025). Associations of mindful feeding beliefs and practices and child diet and weight among WIC participants [Poster], Minneapolis, MN, 2025-05-01.
• Dustin HillMichael PetroniNader Attalah-YunesKestas BendinskasLynn BrannKevin HeffernanJames MacKenzieChristopher PalmerPatrick ParsonsMary CollinsBrooks Gump (2024). Linking soil metal concentrations with children’s blood and urine biomarkers in Syracuse NY [Poster]. Presented at Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences (AESS 2024) Low Carbon Virtual Conference, 2024-01-01.
• Lynn BrannFaculty to Faculty: Managing Up [Panel], 2024-12-04.
• Lynn BrannRachel RazzaKristen Davis (2024). Cultivating self-regulation and healthy food intake: A novel mindful eating intervention for children and their caregivers [Poster]. Presented at International Congress of Nutrition and Dietetics, Toronto, Canada, 2024-06-01.
• Lynn BrannRachel RazzaMindfully Growing: Engaging young children, childcare providers, and parents in healthy eating behaviors and holistic feeding practices [Workshop]. Presented at National Association for the Educators of Young Children, Nashville, TN, 2023-11-01.
• Rachel RazzaLynn BrannParent and teacher assessment of a mindful eating intervention for preschoolers [Oral Presentation]. Presented at Mindfulness, Self-compassion and Family Well-being Conference, Seattle, WA, United States, 2023-10-01.

Active Service

Professional Service

• Editorial Review Board Member, Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, Selected for the position of mentored editor for the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. This position leads to the opportunity to serve as an Associate Editor.. (active since: 2024)
• Editorial Review Board Member, Nutrition Research in Practice Journal (active since: 2023)
• Reviewer/Referee, Journal of Child and Family Studies (active since: 2020)
• Reviewer/Referee, Nutrients (active since: 2019)
• Reviewer/Referee, JAMA Pediatrics (active since: 2012)
• Reviewer/Referee, Appetite (active since: 2011)
• Reviewer/Referee, Maternal and Child Nutrition Journal (active since: 2011)
• Reviewer/Referee, Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior (active since: 2010)
• Reviewer/Referee, Maternal and Child Health Journal (active since: 2009)
• Reviewer/Referee, Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (active since: 2005)

Honors, Awards, and Recognition

• ACC Academic Network Leadership Fellow (received: 2024)
• Falk College Faculty of the Year Award for Excellence in Service, Syracuse University/Falk College
• Syracuse inaugural University Women in Leadership Cohort Group, Syracuse University (received: 2022)
• 2021 Excellence in Graduate Education Faculty Recognition Award, Syracuse University (received: 2021)
• Excellence in Graduate Education Faculty Recognition Award, Syracuse University
• Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• Chancellor’s Award for Public Service (received: 2010)
• Innovative Summer Program Development Fund, University College, Syracuse University
• Chancellor’s Award for Public Service, Nutrition Educators at Diabetes Camp (received: 2008)

Memberships

• Association for Nutrition Departments and Programs affiliated with American Society for Nutrition
• National Association of Educators of Young Children
• Dietetic Educators of Practitioners Dietetic Practice Group
• New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior
• Pediatric Nutrition Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• American Society for Nutrition
• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND)

Licensures and Certifications

• Training in Childhood and Adolescent Weight Management, American Dietetic Association Commission on Dietetic Registration. (since: 2004)
• Registered Dietitian, Commission on Dietetic Registration. (since: 1999)

Recent Media Mentions:

• Whole Milk vs. Low-Fat Milk: Which Is Healthier?November 2025)
• Targeting Food Dyes Ignores the Real Crisis in Childhood Nutrition — Let's instead focus on food insecurity and poverty (10 June 2025)
• Mindfulness and Mindful Eating (30 September 2024)