International lunch celebrates Institute’s global connections

The Liggins Institute is recognised internationally for research which shows that a baby’s early-life environment has a profound influence on its life-long health. Of all the factors in that early environment, nutrition – directly and indirectly – has been shown to have the greatest impact. This multidisciplinary research involves collaborations with organisations in more than 30 countries around the world.

Sharing food is a universal custom, recognising and reinforcing family, friendship, milestones and achievement. Fittingly, the International Lunch has become a fixture in the Liggins Institute’s annual calendar celebrating the diverse international origins and some 30 homelands of its staff and student body.

Nearly 20 different countries and cultures were represented in dishes prepared by Institute members for this month’s shared lunch. Fragrant curries, hearty stews, candies, breads and desserts introduced foods and recipes with names familiar and exotic, including bigos, beijinho, kiflice, lingonberries, colcannon, kheer, dolmades, kanelsnegle, adobo, puris, pizza and pumpkin pie.

Liggins Director Wayne Cutfield thanked the event organisers, PhD students Amber Milan and Chantal Pileggi, and everyone across the Institute who had contributed, remarking on the truly international flavour of the Liggins, the collegiality and friendship summed up in the flags and foods around the tables.

More than half of the Liggins postgraduate students are international, representing 22 different countries.