.jpg "Nihal D. Aytekin, MSc photo")
PhD Candidate
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Destan Aytekin is a Ph.D. candidate in the Human Nutrition program within the Department of International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her research lies at the intersection of maternal nutrition, food systems, implementation science, and evidence-informed policy, with a focus on generating research that informs nutrition policy and programs. Her doctoral research examines how balanced energy-protein supplementation, compared with multiple micronutrient supplementation, together with individual, anthropometric, household, and contextual factors, influences dietary diversity, nutrient adequacy, nutrient intake, and the substitution of home-based diets by nutritional supplements among pregnant women in rural Bangladesh. Through this work, she seeks to generate evidence to strengthen the design and implementation of maternal nutrition interventions in resource-constrained settings. During her doctoral training, she also contributed to the Food Systems Countdown to 2030 Initiative as a member of its data team. Prior to pursuing her Ph.D., Destan held research, program management, policy analysis, and liaison roles at the International Food Policy Research Institute, primarily through its HarvestPlus biofortification program, as well as at the European Commission's Public Health Division and the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. She holds both B.S. and M.Sc. degrees in Food Engineering. Her long-term goal is to advance maternal, adolescent, and child nutrition through interdisciplinary research that informs evidence-based policy, effective programs, and sustainable food systems.