Malek Batal is a Full Professor in the Nutrition Department (Faculty of Medicine) and the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine (School of Public Health), Université de Montréal (UdeM) and member of the CReSP, the Centre for Public Health Research based at UdeM. He holds the Canada Research Chair in Nutrition and Health Inequalities.
With a Ph.D. in Human Nutrition from McGill University, an MSc in Food Technology, and a Diploma in Health Education from the American University of Beirut, Batal’s research focuses on food security, nutrition transitions, Indigenous health, and the intersection of food systems and health inequalities.
Batal has led numerous high-impact projects, including initiatives addressing food security among vulnerable populations, such as refugees, migrant workers, Sub-Saharan and Caribbean mothers in Canada and Indigenous communities in Canada and Latin America. His work has been funded by organizations such as the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases.
Batal is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. He has received several awards, including the Distinction Award for Sustainable Health of the Quebec Association for Public Health and the status of Distinguished Member of Quebec’s Order of Excellence in Education. Batal is actively involved in global health initiatives. Since September 2014, he has been the Director of TRANSNUT, the WHO-Collaborating Centre on Nutrition Changes and Development. As an educator, Batal has taught a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses in nutrition, public health, and food security, mentoring many students and professionals.
He is a national of Canada and Lebanon.
