The Art of Preparing Food in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta
Official title: Neqkiuryaraq - The Art of Preparing Food
Funded at Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation · NIH-11578586 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A community-focused program in Alaska will work with local partners to improve access to nutritious, culturally meaningful foods to help reduce diet-related diseases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bethel, United States) |
| Project start | September 22, 2023 |
| Project end | September 21, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $500,000 |
| NIH project number | 3OT2OD035835-01S3 |
| Project ID | NIH-11578586 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and Alaska Native communities experiencing food insecurity or disparities in diet-related health.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals not experiencing food insecurity or not living in the targeted communities may see limited direct benefits.
What this research studies
This project partners with Alaska Native communities in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta to localize the food system and increase access to healthy foods through traditional knowledge and multi-sector collaboration. It will promote harvesting and distribution of traditional foods alongside affordable produce, aiming to improve nutrition and food security. Researchers will track changes in food security, diet quality, and clinical measures like blood pressure and blood sugar to understand health impacts.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could improve diet quality and reduce risk factors for heart disease, diabetes, and cancer in Alaska Native communities.
How similar studies have gone: Previous community food-security initiatives with culturally aligned approaches have shown improvements in diet quality and access to nutritious foods in similar settings.
Where this research is happening
-
Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation
Bethel, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lefferts, Brian — Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation
- Study coordinator: Lefferts, Brian
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.