Science Meets Tradition: Meet Bernice Chu, MSPH RD
Hi there! I’m Bernice.
I am a Johns Hopkins-trained Registered Dietitian (MSPH/RD) and a former Senior Program Officer at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. I am also a mother, a wife, and a Chinese American.
My heart has always lived at the intersection of science, culture, and food. I was born in Nanjing and raised in Richmond, Virginia, and I now live in the Takoma neighborhood of Washington, DC, with my husband (a fellow scientist), our two kiddos, and our two cats, Timber and Storm.
When I had my second baby, I realized there was a massive gap in the maternal health world: a lack of high-quality, evidence-based postpartum nutrition that also respects cultural heritage.
I left my decade-long career at the National Academies, where I directed complex healthcare research studies that informed federal policy, to spend more time with my kids and focus on a new mission: helping moms navigate the “First Forty Days” with confidence.
I believe that food is medicine, but just as importantly, it is a vessel for love and community.
In Chinese culture, the postpartum period is known as Zuo Yue Zi (坐月子), or “Sitting the Month.” It is a sacred time of rest and recovery.
I created Sit the Moon to help guide you through this transformative time through scientifically sound, culturally relevant, and practical advice.
Get to Know Me
What Author are you reading?
Kelly Yang
What hobby are you bad at?
embroidery
Chinese Name?
Xiaoxiao
Best halloween costume?
an electrical outlet
Favorite Videogame?
nine parchments
Favorite Smell?
an antique book
most magical place you’ve visited?
kangaroo island
first screenname?
Moositude