Christina Badaracco MPH, RD, LDN

Christina Badaracco, MPH, RD, LDN, is a healthcare consultant at Avalere Health, where her focus is on evidence and strategy—primarily to elevate the role of nutrition in healthcare. She has supported hospitals’ malnutrition-focused quality improvement projects, research and publications, and strategic engagements for the Malnutrition Quality Improvement Initiative for more than 3 years—including most recently the refinement of the Global Malnutrition Composite Score and promotion of its inclusion in CMS’ Hospital IQR Program. Outside of her role at Avalere, she regularly writes, teaches, and presents about nutrition, cooking, and sustainable agriculture—including publishing a book about the farm bill in 2019, publishing 4 cookbooks with the Transamerica Center for Health Studies, and co-developing a culinary medicine elective at the Georgetown University School of Medicine. She has previously worked for the EPA, Teaching Kitchen Collaborative, Oakland Unified School District, NIH Clinical Center, and more. She currently serves on the board for Slow Food DC, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' Council on Research Implementation Subcommittee, the Academy’s Farm Bill Task Force, and other nutrition-focused organizations. Christina earned her Master of Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley, and her bachelor’s degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, with a minor in Italian Language and Culture, from Princeton University. She completed her dietetic internship at Massachusetts General Hospital and was selected as a 2021 Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year by the Academy.