Food is more than fuel. It is a foundation for health, educational success, economic mobility, and community well-being.
At a time of significant change in federal nutrition and social service programs, California stands at a crossroads.
The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research is proud to present the 2026 E.R. Brown Symposium, Nourishing the Future: Reimagining Nutrition Security in an Era of Change, which will bring together experts and changemakers to explore how the state can respond to growing challenges and help close gaps in access to nutritious food.
From climate-smart food systems and food-as-medicine interventions to stronger safety nets, better data, and support for students, the symposium will spotlight innovative strategies and partnerships that can advance nutrition security for all Californians.
Join us on Tuesday, November 17, as we examine not only the challenges ahead, but the opportunities for California to chart a healthier and more equitable path forward.
The 2026 E.R. Brown Symposium will be held in person at the UC Student and Policy Center in Sacramento and is free and open to the public. Registration is required. The symposium will also be livestreamed on Zoom.
Presenters and panelists include:
- Richard Ayoub, CEO, Project Angel Food
- Haleta Belai, Vice President, Enterprise Drivers of Health, Centene Corporation
- Dan Birman, Emmy award-winning executive producer and director
- Dr. Steven Chen, Chief Medical Officer, Recipe4Health, Alameda County Health, Public Health Department, Community Health Services Division
- Paula Daniels, Executive Director, Los Angeles County Office of Food Systems
- Kayla de la Haye, PhD, Professor, Community Health Sciences, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health
- Jamie Fanous, Policy and Organizing Director, Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF)
- Lauren Hansen, Staff Attorney, Public Interest Law Project
- Jamiah Hargins, Founding Executive Director, Crop Swap LA
- Christina Hecht, PhD, Senior Policy Advisor, Nutrition Policy Institute
- Ken Hecht, Director of Policy, Nutrition Policy Institute
- Joe Incandela, PhD, Yzurdiaga Chair in Experimental Science, UC Santa Barbara, and Former Lead, CMS Experiment, European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)
- Michelle Lee, Policy Advocate, Nourish California
- Suzanna M. Martinez, PhD, Associate Professor, Lifecourse Division, Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, UC San Francisco
- Fabiola Moncerrat Perez-Lua, PhD, Chancellor’s Post-Doctoral Fellow, UCLA, and Post-Doctoral Scholar, UC Berkeley
- Ninez A. Ponce, PhD, MPP, Director, UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, and Professor and Fred W. & Pamela K. Wasserman Endowed Chair, Department of Health Policy and Management, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health
- AJ Scheitler, EdD, Director, UCLA Data Equity Center, and Director, Development, Engagement, and Strategic Planning, UCLA Center for Health Policy Research
- Maxwell Titsworth, Chief Data and Technology Officer, San Francisco-Marin Food Bank
- Oliko Vardishvili, PhD, Assistant Professor, Economics, UC Irvine
- Jun Wu, PhD, Professor, Environmental and Occupational Health, Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health, UC Irvine
*Subject to change. The full agenda and program will be available soon.
Interested in partnering with us as a sponsor? Download our sponsorship package.