Vanessa Coffman, Ph.D.
Director
Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness

With a deep commitment to public health and food safety, Vanessa Coffman has worked on diverse food systems projects ranging from evaluating post-war farming practices in Sierra Leone for the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (UN-FAO) to investigating occupational and residential exposures associated with large-scale pork production facilities in North Carolina.

Her research has also explored the link between nitrate-contaminated drinking water—primarily from food animal operations—and fetal health outcomes in Denmark. Prior to earning her PhD in Environmental Epidemiology from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Vanessa served as a policy analyst at Stop Foodborne Illness, focusing on the implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

Since returning to STOP in 2021, she has expanded the organization’s Alliance membership, staff, and programs, driving a systemic shift toward a stronger food safety culture across the entire food system.