Having been involved in medical school education for many years, and with expertise in food allergies and in the prevention of childhood obesity in infancy and early childhood, Barbara Robinson brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Culinary Nutrition program at Johnson & Wales University.
Before joining the faculty at JWU, Robinson was a Clinical Nutrition Specialist and Clinical Teaching Associate in Pediatrics at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. For more than 15 years, she was the Senior Pediatric Dietitian at Hasbro Children's Hospital, later joining the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Nutrition and Liver Diseases. Professor Robinson continues to work part-time at Hasbro Children’s Hospital in the Food Allergy Program and is an adjunct faculty member at The Alpert Medical School of Brown University.Robinson’s research interest is education of pediatricians with the intent of preventing obesity in early childhood. She has been an investigator on two research grants funded by The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in collaboration with researchers from Brown University's Institute for Community Health Promotion. A frequent lecturer to health care professionals, she speaks on the prevention of obesity via enhanced pediatric physician practice as well as food allergies. Robinson is an active mentor of and advocate for JWU students pursuing clinical nutrition career paths. She has mentored medical and public health graduate students in the resolution of the issues of nutrition and obesity that are impacting America children and communities. In addition, she has consulted to local government agencies and nonprofit organizations including Head Start, the R.I. Department of Health and Thundermist Health Center.Robinson is certified as a Nutrition Support Clinician by the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, and she is certified in Child and Adolescent Weight Management by the Academy Dietetic Association. She also holds a certification in Motivational Interviewing, which is a counseling method for promoting behavioral change.