Tirna Purkait

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Tirna Purkait

Doctor of Philosophy in Nutrition

Contact

From

India

Email

tpurkait2@huskers.unl.edu

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tirnapurkait/

Degree Pursuing

Doctor of Philosophy in Nutrition

Expected Date of Graduation

May 2025

Current Research Focus

Exploring the role of Food and Nutrition Assistance Programs (FNAPs) on Food and Nutrition Environment of Young Children

Skills Acquired

  • Designing and executing scientifically robust surveys, employing methodologically valid and reliable practices to generate accurate and insightful data. 
  • Conducting translational research, systematic review, and writing manuscripts as first author. 
  • Dissemination of research through social media platforms. 
  • Analyzing existing data reports within SNAP-Ed counties to inform future efforts via the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). 
  • Assigning indicators for precise program assessment in Program Evaluation and Reporting System (PEARS),  
  • Methodology: Dietary Observation in Childcare Centers (DOCC), RE-AIM Framework, Transcription and coding of audios and videos. 
  • Software:  

Systematic Review-  DistillerSR, Covidence. 

Citation Manager-    Mendeley, Zotero, EndNote. 

Data Analysis-         SPSS, R, NVivo 

Editing-                   Adobe Photoshop 

  • Tools: Veggie Meter®, Kjeldahl apparatus, Soxhlet apparatus, Rotational viscometer, Rotary evaporator, Colorimeter, Refractometer, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectrometer 

Professional Membership or Affiliation

  • American Society of Nutrition (ASN) 
  • Nutrition and Obesity Policy Research and Evaluation Network (NOPREN) 
  • Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and School (NAECR) Student Researcher Group 
  • Indian Dietetic Association, Bangalore 

Future Goals

Industry-based R&D roles (For e.g.: Nutrition marketing, R&D, etc.)  

Or  

Policy/Program Analyst  

How project experience will help you achieve your future career goals

As a SNAP-Ed graduate research assistant collaborating with Nebraska Extension, I co-lead as an investigator in the "Healthy People, Healthy State", a statewide needs and assets assessment project. I explore the links between food and nutrition security, policy, and programs, while advocating for health equity in the context of early childhood. With my background in food marketing, I specialize in bridging research to practical solutions, fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration, and communicating outcomes to diverse audiences effectively. 

Top strengths that contribute to the project

  • Engineering Background  
  • Presentation, Marketing and Leadership 
  • Communication and Collaboration 
  • Data Management and Analysis  

Awards

Nutrition Education for Children Division Student Poster Research Award: SNEB Award 2023    

Publications & Conference Proceedings

Are Food and Nutrition Assistance Programs Fostering an Equitable Early Care and Education (ECE) Food Environment Among Young Children (2-6 Years): A Systematic Review Utilizing the RE-AIM Framework (Manuscript submitted) 

Hasnin, S., Dev, D. A., Swindle, T., Sisson, S. B., Pitts, S. J., Purkait, T., Clifton, S. C., Dixon, J.; Stage, V.C. (2023). Systematic Review of Reflection Spectroscopy-Based Skin Carotenoid Assessment in Children. Nutrients, 15(6), 1315. MDPI AG. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu15061315 

Purkait, T., & Pandey, S. (2020). Development, Physicochemical Characterization and Sensory Evaluation of a Red Wine Using Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) and Peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) Extract. Medico Legal Update, 20(4), 1375-1380. 

Purkait, T., & Dutta, N. (2020). Medicinal Uses and Effect of Different Processing Techniques (Blanching and Drying) Of Drumstick Leaves (Moringa oleifera). International Journal of Scientific Research. 1-3. http://dx.doi.org/10.36106/ijsr/8734508. 

Purkait, T., & Pandey, S. (2019). Formulation and Nutrient Analysis of Vitamin C Enriched Red Wine Using Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) and Peppermint (Mentha piperita L.). In Conference Proceedings The 1st International Conference on Agriculture, Food Security and Safety. 

Conference Presentations: 

Purkait, T., Dev, D., Srivastava, D., & Franzen-Castle, L. (2023, July). The Impact of FNAPs on Young Children's Food Environment in ECEs: A Systematic Review Using the RE-AIM Framework. Poster presented at the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior’s 2023 Annual Conference. 

Hasnin, S., Dev, D., Swindle, T. M., Sisson, S. B., Purkait, T., Clifton., S. C., Dixon, J., & Stage, V. C. (2022, July). Current Field Use of Reflection Spectroscopy based Skin Carotenoid Assessment in Children: Systematic Review. Poster presented at the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior’s 2022 Annual Conference. 

Purkait, T. & Pandey, S. (2019, March). Development, Characterization, and Evaluation of Vitamin C Enriched Red Wine Using Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) and Peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) extract. Paper presented at International Conference on Recent Advances in Agriculture, Aquaculture, Food Technology, Environmental Dynamics, and Climate Change (AFTEC-2019), Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. 

Purkait, T. & Pandey, S. (2019, November). Formulation and Nutrient Analysis of Vitamin C Enriched Red Wine Using Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) and Peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) Extract. Paper presented at International Conference on Agriculture, Food Security and Safety, Colombo, Sri Lanka. 

Fun Fact

I love collaborating with different lifestyle brands and restaurants for Instagram marketing and promotion. I am a Zomato Connoisseur and have experience working as a freelance food reviewer and critic.