Laura Shine

Laura Shine is a PhD candidate in Concordia’s Humanities program, in the fields of Food Anthropology, Food Marketing, and Sensory Studies, and a Concordia Public Scholar. She investigates the changes in attitudes and behaviours towards novel foods, with a specific focus on entomophagy - the consumption of edible insects. More broadly, Shine is interested in the shifting notion of edibility – what is considered edible and why, and how that changes over time. She has served as strategic consultant on the board of insect start-ups and presented talks and workshops on eating bugs in schools and university settings. Her written work on food has been published in both specialized journals and generalist publications, and she has made numerous television and radio appearances to discuss entomophagy. She also devised and taught an undergraduate course in Food and Culture in Concordia’s Sociology and Anthropology department, has facilitated collective kitchens and urban community gardening groups, and cooking classes. Her research has been supported by scholarships from the SSHRC and the FQRSC, and by a fellowship from the Luc Beauregard Centre of Excellence in Communications Research.