Dr. Lanou currently teaches nutrition, women’s health, intro to women's studies, food politics and nutrition policy, and understanding chronic disease at UNCA. Her current research interests include nutrition for the prevention of chronic disease, how self-efficacy impacts health behaviors, the relationship between blood lead and hypertension, and how activist performance impacts self-efficacy and health behaviors.

Dr. Lanou formerly served as PCRM's nutrition director for five years overseeing nutrition education and outreach programs and advocating for healthier diets. She and her staff have established numerous campaigns to promote good nutrition, including the Healthy School Lunch, Safe Diets, and Not Dairy Campaigns. Dr. Lanou is also the author of Healthy Eating for Life for Children (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; Feb. 2002).She previously taught courses in human nutrition, nutrition and exercise, and nutrition and aging at Ithaca College as an assistant professor and at Cornell University as an adjunct professor for five years. She has worked with T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., at Cornell University as a nutrition writer and was managing editor of his newsletter and online journal, New Century Nutrition. Dr. Lanou recently published an article in Pediatrics titled "Calcium, dairy and bone health in children and young adults: a reevaluation of the evidence," which shows that currently available evidence does not support the notion that dairy product consumption promotes bone health in young people.

Dr. Lanou received her B.S. in Nutrition Science from the University of California at Davis and her Ph.D. in Human Nutrition from Cornell University. Her research was focused on body weight regulation and the control of food intake.