Deborah Nabuuma

Deborah Nabuuma is currently a Scientist in the Food environment and consumer behavior research team, based in Malaysia. She is a nutritionist with over a decade of research experience advancing nutrition through integrated food systems approaches. Her work leverages research, strategic partnerships, and evidence-based strategies to improve food environments, increase access to and consumption of healthy and diverse diets, and enhance nutrition and health outcomes.

Deborah has conducted research across several countries in Eastern Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands, leading rapid diagnostic assessments, capacity strengthening and co-creation processes across diverse food systems - working at multiple stages, from production and seed systems to food environments. A key focus of her work is promoting the use of agrobiodiversity for healthier diets and strengthening local farming and seed systems to support nutrition-sensitive food systems, and nutrition behavior change.

Committed to interdisciplinary collaboration, her work bridges agriculture, nutrition, climate change, and public health, contributing to the development of healthier, more equitable, inclusive and sustainable food systems.

Deborah holds an MSc in Applied Human Nutrition from Makerere University and a PhD in Nutritional Sciences from Stellenbosch University.