Sanae ElShourbagy Ferreira, PhD, awarded the AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowship

Sanae ElShourbagy Ferreira, PhD, BUSM’18 has been awarded the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) & Technology Policy Fellowship for 2019-20.

Last year she was a “featured force” for science by the AAAS and this year Dr. Ferreira will be a part of 278 highly trained scientists and engineers who will spend their fellowship as part of federal agencies and congressional offices based out of Washington, D.C. The AAAS & Technology Policy Fellowship’s program aims to support evidence-based policymaking by engaging the knowledge and analytical mindset of science and engineering experts, and foster leaders for a strong U.S. science and technology enterprise. The fellows chosen represent a broad range of disciplines, backgrounds and career stages.

As part of the program, Dr. Ferreira will be at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in the Office of the Director as part of the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program. The NIH awarded $157 million in 2016 to launch this seven-year initiative that investigates the intersection of pediatric and environmental health. The ECHO program examines environmental exposures ranging from air pollution and chemicals to societal factors like stress, and individual behaviors like sleep and diet and how the timing of these exposures affects health outcomes around the time of birth and later in childhood and adolescence.

Dr. Ferreira trained in molecular and clinical nutrition science and received her PhD in nutrition and metabolism from BUSM. Her thesis focused on preventive medicine to identify early, modifiable lifestyle factors that contribute to the later risk of metabolic and cardiovascular disease in adolescent girls.

This appointment will add to Dr. Ferreira’s accomplishments that include founding the Women’s Professional Development Committee (WPDC) at Boston University, being a contributing writer to the American Society of Nutrition, and maintaining her own nutrition and wellness blog called “Where the Blueboots Go”.

Submitted by Alexis Clay, MD.