Education
PhD, University of Minnesota, 2013
MPH, University of Minnesota, 2009
BS, University of Minnesota, 2006
Overview
I am interested in the prevention of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease from the perspectives of life course, nutritional and microbiome epidemiology. I believe that primordial prevention of lifestyle and environmental risk factors, particularly in high-risk and nutritionally transitioning populations, provides the greatest opportunity to curb the epidemics of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. As such, my research aims to identify early-life, modifiable antecedents of cardiometabolic disease in diverse populations locally and globally. Most recently my research has focused on understanding the determinants of gut microbiota and how they can be leveraged to prevent metabolic diseases. My research effort is partitioned among the Department of Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health; the Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research; and the Johns Hopkins Food, Body and Mind Institute.
Honors and Awards
Marguerite Queneau Research Assistantship Award (2007), University of Minnesota, School of Public Health
Cecilia Goetz Memorial Scholarship (2008), University of Minnesota, School of Public Health
Ruth Stief Chair Award in Public Health Nutrition (2009), University of Minnesota, School of Public Health
Finalist, Jeremiah and Rose Stamler Research Award for New Investigators in Cardiovascular Epidemiology and Prevention, (2011) American Heart Association EPI/NPAM Scientific Sessions
Best of American Heart Association Specialty Conferences: Epidemiology 2011, American Heart Association Annual Meeting
2014 Epidemiology and Prevention Early Career Travel Grant, American Heart Association EPI/NPAM Scientific Sessions
Best of American Heart Association Specialty Conferences: Epidemiology 2014, American Heart Association Annual Meeting
Finalist, Emerging Leaders in Nutrition Science Poster Competition, Experimental Biology Annual Meeting 2015
Finalist, 2016 Lifestyle Young Investigator Award, American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2016