Michael Yang

Michael Yang is an accomplished founder and executive director of the Culinary Medicine Initiative, which provides free cooking and STEM education to youth in New Orleans. Currently serving as Co-CEO of Mighty Pods under EIT Food, Michael is involved in developing an eco-friendly fortified pea milk horchata tailored to children's nutritional needs. In addition, Michael holds positions as a research assistant and CFAAR Summer Scholar at the Center for Food Allergy and Asthma Research, and serves as a UMSDF Student Ambassador for CureMSD to raise awareness about Multiple Sulfatase Deficiency. With a prestigious Fulbright Award in Food Security from the US-UK Fulbright Commission, Michael has completed an internship in the cardiology department at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and gained experience through various roles, including culinary medicine intern and undergraduate researcher in ophthalmology. Michael is pursuing a Master’s degree in Nutrition and Food Science at the University of Reading following an undergraduate degree from Tulane University.