Dr. Dana Olstad

Associate Professor

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Biography

Dana Olstad is an Associate Professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary, holding adjunct academic appointments at the Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Alberta, and the School of Public Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo. As a Registered Dietitian, Olstad's primary expertise lies in public health nutrition, specializing in the study of socioeconomic disadvantages and their impact on dietary patterns and health outcomes. Her research aims to investigate trends in socio-economic inequities regarding diet quality and health, exploring structural determinants and proposing scalable policy interventions to improve access to nutritious foods. Utilizing both qualitative and quantitative mixed-methods approaches, her work addresses critical issues such as food insecurity, dietary health equity, and the influence of food marketing on children. Olstad has led various funded projects focusing on food policy, public health initiatives, and the impacts of socioeconomic status on health outcomes in diverse populations.

Research Interests

Awards

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Early Career Researcher Partnership Prize

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Emerging Research Leader Award

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Petro-Canada Young Innovator Award

Requirements for University of Calgary

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.3
IELTS
Listening
Required:6
Reading
Required:6
Writing
Required:6
Speaking
Required:6
Overall
Required:7
TOEFL
Listening
Required:20
Reading
Required:20
Writing
Required:20
Speaking
Required:20
Total
Required:97
GRE General
Verbal
Required:150
Quantitative
Required:159
Analytical Writing
Required:5.5
Overall
Required:5.5
Prerequisites
4-year Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent 3rd or 4th year course in Theory of Computation 3rd or 4th year course in Software Engineering 3rd or 4th year course in Systems (OS, Compilers, Networking) 3rd or 4th year course in Application (AI, Graphics, Databases)
Application Checklist
  • Unofficial Transcripts
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Two Letters of Reference
Specialization Notes

Department of Computer Science Master's program. GRE scores are expected for international students.