Meet the Team
We are experts committed to bringing data to life! From rigorously collecting evidence and analyzing key findings to crafting compelling content for storytelling and advocacy, our collective of dedicated researchers, nonprofit leaders, and communications professionals worked in unison to ensure this research doesn't just sit on a shelf, but sparks real world change. Here are the faces of the people turning insights into impact.
Founder and President, JIVINITI and The Virsa Foundation
Nivi Jaswal
Sr VP, Team Leader, Public Opinion Polling Team, Ipsos US Public Affairs
Chris Moessner
VP, Quantitative Research, Ipsos US Public Affairs
Jennifer Berg
Editorial Director, Ipsos US Public Affairs
Sarah Feldman
VP, Data Analytics and Applied Sciences, Ipsos US Public Affairs
Ellen Foster
Sr VP, Chief Survey Methodologist, Ipsos US Public Affairs
Randall K Thomas
Sr VP, Project Management, Ipsos US Public Affairs
Linda McPetrie
Research Manager, Ipsos US Public Affairs
Talia Wiseman
Account Manager, Ipsos US Public Affairs
Rhett Laffoon
Data Journalist, Ipsos US Public Affairs
Bernard Mendez
Sr. VP, Clyde Group
Lauren Hovey
Sr. VP, Clyde Group
Sasha Lundquist
Head Writer, Clyde Group
Lucy Vernasco
Head, Digital Product, JIVINITI and The Virsa Foundation
Martin Haiek
Lead Designer, JIVINITI and The Virsa Foundation
Juan Garcia
Acknowledgments
This study would not have been possible without the generous support of The T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies, The Veg Fund, and A Well Fed World, whose grants helped bring this research to fruition. We are deeply grateful for their commitment to advancing knowledge at the intersection of nutrition, public health, and equity. We extend our sincere appreciation to our dedicated team members, Verena Rossa, MD, MSc, PhD; Erin Sinnaeve, DNP, FNP-C, DipACLM; Meryl Fury, MS, RN; Kati Monti; Jacque Solomon; Priyanka Naithani; Yakob Dedi; Krista Leoncavallo; and Marsha Gail-Davis, MD, MPH, DipABLM, for their invaluable expertise and contributions throughout this project. A special thanks to Statisticians Without Borders (SWB) and Christine R. Wells, PhD, Statistical Methods and Data Analytics Consultant at UCLA's Office of Research Computing, for her guidance in statistical modeling and interpretation.
We are also immensely grateful to the 50 partner organizations and experts who supported the collection of our convenience sample by disseminating the survey online, including The Fuhrman Foundation, the ACLM HEAL Initiative, Seeds to Inspire Foundation, and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Their collaboration was instrumental in ensuring broad outreach and diverse participation, further enriching the depth of this research. This collaborative effort reflects the shared commitment of individuals and organizations striving to improve public health through evidence-based research.
About Ipsos
Ipsos is the third largest market research company in the world, present in 90 markets and employing more than 18,000 people.
Our research professionals, analysts and scientists have built unique multi-specialist capabilities that provide powerful insights into the actions, opinions and motivations of citizens, consumers, patients, customers or employees. Our 75 business solutions are based on primary data coming from our surveys, social media monitoring, and qualitative or observational techniques.
"Game Changers" – our tagline – summarises our ambition to help our 5,000 clients to navigate more easily our deeply changing world.
Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos is listed on the Euronext Paris since July 1st, 1999. The company is part of the SBF 120 and the Mid-60 index and is eligible for the Deferred Settlement Service (SRD).
ISIN code FR0000073298, Reuters ISOS.PA, Bloomberg IPS:FP
www.ipsos.com
About The Virsa Foundation
The Virsa Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in the Greater Boston area, dedicated to connecting the dots between personal, public, and planetary health - particularly through the lens of post-industrial ultra-processed food systems.
The foundation was born out of a deeply personal journey. After experiencing corporate burnout firsthand, founder Nivi Jaswal-Wirtjes left the corporate world in search of solutions that addressed not only individual well-being but also the broader systemic factors affecting health. In 2018, she established The Virsa Foundation as a vehicle for interdisciplinary research, advocacy, and creative communication. Their early initiatives were focused on rural women in Northwestern India (2018 - 2020).
In 2020, the foundation launched the JIVINITI Research and Advocacy Program, which has since conducted qualitative research with low-income women and women of color in the United States (during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic). Building on these early research initiatives, the foundation spearheaded Project GAIA, a large-scale study examining diet, burnout, and the pandemic's impact on public health.
Most recently, The Virsa Foundation produced THIRD DEGREE BURNOUT – A Survivor's Guide, a documentary film exploring the intersection of personal and planetary burnout. Through research, storytelling, and advocacy, the foundation continues to challenge dominant narratives around food, health, and resilience, working toward systemic change in our food and healthcare ecosystems.
Learn More About the GAIA Study Findings
Explore how different dietary patterns affect physical and mental health outcomes during global health crises.