By Michael Yang, 2023-2024 Fulbright-University of Reading Award in Food Security Awardee

In September 2023, I touched down in the United Kingdom for the very first time, excited yet with little idea of what awaited me beyond a year of study at the University of Reading. This opportunity to pursue an MSc in Nutrition and Food Science was made possible through the Fulbright/University of Reading Award in Food Security. My background was in cell and molecular biology and public health at Tulane University, where I had become fascinated by the intersection of food and medicine. Still, I knew that what lay ahead would challenge me to see nutrition in new ways, as both a science and a bridge between population health and patient care.

Early into my degree, I found myself in uncharted territory: food product development. Tasked with formulating a sustainable food product addressing gaps in the food industry, my team and I crafted a vegan mayonnaise made from pea protein and citrus fiber, and fortified with B vitamins. I quickly realized this was not just about emulsifiers and nutrition labels, but about problem-solving for real communities. How do we innovate foods that are sustainable, accessible, and nourishing? The process echoed the same questions I asked in my public health training: how do we build systems that serve those who need them most?

Alongside product development, I gained clinical perspectives through a nutrition-centered Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) course, where role-play with standardized patients reinforced that nutrition is never abstract but deeply personal, human, and tied to trust. This blending of science and service shaped my life on campus, where I served as Nutrition Course Representative and Postgraduate Student Officer, while also competing on Reading’s varsity basketball team and volunteering with the St. John Ambulance Society. Through these roles, I would help organize a Chinese New Year celebration and lead a World Health Day blood pressure screening that reached hundreds in the Reading community. In recognition of this work, I was honored with the “Outstanding Impact on the Student Experience” award, a reminder that service abroad could mirror the commitments I had long carried back in the U.S.

As the year unfolded, opportunities to share my work would appear. I presented research on advancing equity in food allergy at the Global Forum on Anaphylaxis and Food Allergy in Padua, Italy, where I was awarded first place for poster presentation. A few months later, I represented Reading in the European Institute of Innovation and Technology’s (EIT) “Pea-Licious” food solutions challenge. Elected team CEO, our team created “Pea-Chata,” a pea milk horchata fortified with calcium, and D and B vitamins to meet the nutritional and developmental needs of children across Europe. Through months of conceptualization and hands-on reformulation, the competition pushed us to think beyond science, balancing product creation and nutritional goals with business planning, marketing, and scalability. After pitching our product to a panel of industry leaders, we were awarded the second place prize in the international competition.

While immersing myself in the UK, I strived to remain connected to my community in New Orleans. I would continue to run the Culinary Medicine Initiative (CMI), a free cooking and STEM education program I founded as an undergraduate. To date, CMI has reached more than 300 youth, blending science with hands-on kitchen lessons that aim to make health tangible. My MSc program and the US-UK Fulbright Commission gave me more than academic growth; they offered perspective. Having never studied abroad prior, I came to see how nutrition knowledge developed in an international context could strengthen health equity locally, scale to shape national policy, and inform global dialogue. From leading blood pressure screenings in Reading to outreach in New Orleans, from presenting at conferences in Europe to building nonprofit collaborations in the US, my Fulbright year reinforced that research, innovation, health promotion, and community engagement are most powerful when pursued together.

Now, a few months into medical school at Tulane University School of Medicine, I carry these lessons forward. It has been a true honor to be named to Gambit New Orleans’ 2025 40 Under 40 list, a recognition of the positive impact CMI has had in New Orleans. My Fulbright year expanded my training, deepened my commitment to leadership, and reaffirmed my belief that collaboration across disciplines and cultures is essential for health equity. What began as a simple passion for food would lead me to the UK and develop into a deeper understanding of how nutrition can serve as a bridge between science and service, creating global opportunities for people and communities to flourish.