Current
8. National Cancer Institute (U54); Leak (Co-I)
Amount: $154,651 (Subaward) 07/2023 – 06/2028
The Social Capital (SoCa) Center: Promoting Multigenerational Health
Aim: To examine whether interventions offered in several settings reduce adverse health behaviors
associated with cancer risk among youth and adults from marginalized communities in New York City.
7. Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases, NIFA, USDA (2021-68015-33436); Leak (PI)
Amount: $990,000 11/2020-10/2025
The Advanced Cooking Education (ACE) Urban 4-H After School Club: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial
Aim: To examine the effectiveness of the 12-week ACE 4-H after school club (mindfulness, professional development, nutrition education, and at home cooking labs involving plant-based ethnic dishes) on diet and body composition among 7 th and 8 th grade students attending NYC Title I schools.
6. Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program, NIFA, USDA (2020-70030-33188); Leak (Co-PI)
Amount: $3,077,153 – 09/2020-08/2024
Double Up Food Bucks New York State: Innovating Technologies and Expanding Geographies
Aim: To implement and evaluate the feasibility of implementing, as well as the impact of the Double Up
program on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants fruit and vegetable
purchases.
5. New York State Legislative Budget; Leak (Co-PI)
Amount: $1,000,000; 04/2022-03/2024
Cornell University Cooperative Extension of New York City (CUCE NYC) and Cornell Action Research Collaborative (ARC)
Aim: To expand CUCE-NYC programming and the ARC evaluation unit, which offers program
planning, design, implementation, and evaluation services to community organizations that work with
some of NYC’s most vulnerable populations.
4.National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD; R21MD016986-01); Leak (PI)
Amount: $321,938 01/2022-11/2023
The preliminary efficacy of a culturally tailored, telehealth lifestyle intervention for Black adolescent girls with prediabetes: a pilot randomized controlled trial
To examine the preliminary efficacy of a 12-week virtually delivered intervention involving weekly nutrition lessons, at home cooking experiences, and dances classes on diet and physical activity among Black adolescent girls with overweight or obesity and prediabetes.
3. Engaged Research Seed Grant, College of Human Ecology, Cornell University; Leak (PI)
Amount: $4,000, 08/2022-08/2023
Expanding Gardening and Nutrition Education Opportunities for Families in Transitional Housing
Aim: To examine the feasibility of implementing an 8-week intervention where caregivers with children in transitional housing in NYC participate in the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) and learn to grow vegetables and herbs.
2. Collaborative Pilot Project, Cornell Center for Health Equity, Weill Cornell Medicine
Amount: $50,000, 07/2021-06/2023
Addressing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Disparities Among Low-Income Households with Adolescents Using a Novel Telehealth Lifestyle Intervention
Aim: To examine spillover effect of the 12-week Black Girls for Wellness intervention on caregiver diet
and physical activity.
1. Cornell Center for Social Sciences: Pilot Research Grants Cornell University; Leak (PI)
Amount: $8,000, 07/2021-06/2023
Reducing risk factors for type 2 diabetes among adolescent girls from low-income backgrounds.
To collect formative data to examine the feasibility of conducting an intervention to reduce risk factors for type 2
diabetes among adolescent girls from low-income backgrounds in NYC.
Under Review
1. Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program, NIFA, USDA; Leak (Co-PI)
Amount: $8,000,000; 10/2023-09-2027
Double Up Food Bucks New York State: Innovating Solutions to Improve Food Access
Aim: To examine whether 3 new strategies increase Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants enrollment in the Double Up program (for every $1 spent on fruits on vegetables, $1 is
provided for a future purchase): 1) automatic enrollment of SNAP participants into the Double Up program, 2) making the Double Up program available for online purchases, and 3) offering the Double Up program via community supported agriculture (i.e., buy one get one free produce box) .
Completed
13. Hatch/Smith Lever, NIFA, USDA (2018-19-125); Leak (PI)
Amount: $195,000; 10/2018-09/2022
The Advanced Cooking Education (ACE) 4-H After School Club: Curriculum Development and Pilot Test
Aim: To examine the feasibility of conducting the 12-week ACE 4-H after school club with 7 th and 8 th grade students at three Title I schools in Brooklyn, NY.
12. Engaged Undergraduate Research Grant, Engaged Cornell, Cornell University; Leak (PI)
Amount: $45,000, 04/2019-06/2022
Community Engaged Undergraduate Research Opportunities with the Advanced Cooking Education (ACE) Program
Aim: To examine whether providing undergraduate students with research opportunities with ACE will
improve their intercultural competence, understanding of integrative learning, and critical reflective skills.
11. Engaged Curriculum Grant, Engaged Cornell, Cornell University; Leak (PI)
Amount: $60,000; 06/2018-06/2022
Global Public Health Science Major
Aim: To increase the number of experiential learning opportunities sites for students majoring in Global and Public Health Sciences and evaluate the impact of these experiences on various learning outcomes.
10. Engaged Opportunity Grant, Engaged Cornell, Cornell University; Leak (PI)
Amount: $5,000, 03/2020-06/2022
Development of a culturally informed, technology enhanced infant feeding education program for low-income Latina
mothers.
To conduct qualitative interviews with low-income Latina mothers and community health workers that work with
low-income Latina mothers to explore their perceptions about an online based infant feeding education program.
9. NHLBI (R25HL126146); Bibbins-Domingo (PI)
Amount: $11,500 (Subaward) 11/2020-03/2022
Identifying lifestyle intervention strategies to test with adolescents from low socioeconomic status households who have prediabetes/type 2 diabetes and obesity
Aim: To explore facilitators and barriers to eating healthy and being physically active among adolescent girls at risk for type 2 diabetes that have Medicaid insurance through qualitative interviews.
8. Tuft Family Foundation; Leak (PI)
Amount: $25,000, 06/2021-12/2021
Examining the Feasibility of a Food Justice Intervention on Snacking Behaviors of Urban Youth.
To examine the feasibility of a 12 session food justice intervention on snacking behaviors among adolescents
attending a Boys and Girls Club in New York City.
7. Institute for the Social Sciences Small Grants Program, Cornell University; Leak (PI)
Amount: $4,000, 04/2018 – 04/2020
A Critical Examination of After School Programming at Racially Diverse, Title I Middle Schools in Urban Communities
Examine the perspectives of New York City principals of Title I middle schools about a culturally relevant after school program that aims to improve student culinary science knowledge, cooking skills, and cooking self-efficacy.
6. President’s Council of Cornell Women Affinito-Stewart Grant, Cornell University; Leak (PI)
Amount: $10,000, 07/2018-06/2019
Facilitators and Barriers to Participating in After School Activities: Perspectives of Low-Income Urban Youth
Explore the perspective of diverse, urban middle school students about after school activities they participate in and factors that influence participation.
5. National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes for Health; Leak (PI)
Amount: $5,000, 03/2018-06/2018
Unlocking the Potential of Science Knowledge with Hands-On Teaching in Food and Nutrition (UPSHOT)
Planning grant to examine the feasibility of developing an integrated nutritional sciences and health curriculum for K-5 students attending an elementary school located in North Central Brooklyn.
4. Duke-UNC USDA Center for Behavioral Economics and Healthy Food Choice Research; Leak (PI)
Amount: $15,000, 09/2016-09/2018
Examining the feasibility of altering the food choice architecture in corner stores
Examine the feasibility of selling whole grain snack packs in New York City bodegas.
3. UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland; Leak (Co-I)
Amount: $217,516, 09/2016-11/2017
Food Overcoming our Diabetes Risk (FoodRx) pilot study
A 16-week pilot intervention where fresh vegetables and whole grains were delivered to low-income households with at least one obese child diagnosed with pre-diabetes.
2. Healthy Foods, Healthy Lives Institute, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities; Leak (PI)
Amount: $5,000, 07/2013-11/2014
Familial consequences of an intervention to increase vegetable intake among young children
Assessed the role of adolescents residing in low-income households in home food preparation.
1. Food Policy Research Center, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities; Leak (Co-I)
Amount: $5,000, 10/2013-04/2014
School meal regulations and child nutrition: environmental approaches to improve intake
Examined previous and current School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program requirements, and recommended behavioral economics-informed strategies that can be incorporated into these programs.