Julia Finkelstein
Julia Finkelstein
Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition
Division of Nutritional Sciences
Office

3109 Martha Van Rensselaeler Hall

Biography

Dr. Julia Finkelstein is Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition and Director of the Maternal and Child Nutrition Program in the Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University. She is co-Director of the Joan Klein Jacobs Center for Precision Nutrition and Health and co-leads the Cochrane Center and World Health Organization | Pan American Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Nutrition Research for Health at Cornell University. Dr. Finkelstein is the Program Director of the NIH-funded training program on maternal and child nutrition and leads the clinical core for the NIH-funded Center for Point of Care Diagnostics for Nutrition, Infection, and Cancer (PORTENT) as part of the NIH POCTRN network. Dr. Finkelstein is also Associate Professor in the Division of Nutrition at St. John's Research Institute, St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, Bengaluru, India, and Associate Professor of Epidemiology in the Department of Population Health Sciences at Weill Cornell Medical College.

The Finkelstein Laboratory focuses on one-carbon metabolism and iron and inflammation, in women’s health across the life cycle - from preconception, to pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond – to develop interventions to improve the health of women and children. Dr. Finkelstein is an epidemiologist with expertise in one-carbon metabolism, biomarker assessment, the design and conduct of randomized clinical trials, cohort studies, and population-based surveillance programs in high-risk obstetric and pediatric populations in clinical and community settings. 

Dr. Finkelstein received her Bachelor of Science from McGill University in Montréal, Canada, Master of Public Health degree from Brown University, and Master and Doctor of Science degrees in Epidemiology and Nutrition from Harvard University. Her work has been internationally recognized with awards including a National Institutes of Health technology accelerator challenge prize for innovative global health diagnostics (with Drs. Mehta and Erickson), the SUNY Chancellor Award for scholarship and creative activities, and International Life Sciences Institute Award for leadership in nutrition. Dr. Finkelstein was recently elected as Chair of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) One-Carbon Metabolism. 

Student opportunities

Indication of whether or not this person is accepting new undergraduate and graduate students is shown by academic year below.

Graduate students

Availability by term
2025 - 2026 Available

Undergraduate students

Availability by term
2025 - 2026 Available
Related websites

http://www.finkelstein.human.cornell.edu

https://www.mcn.nutrition.cornell.edu

Social media accounts

LinkedIn

Research activities

The Finkelstein Laboratory focuses on iron and one-carbon metabolism in women’s health across the life cycle - from preconception, to pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond – to develop interventions to improve the health of women and children. We have established population-based periconceptional, pregnancy, pediatric, and adolescent cohorts, which informs the development of randomized clinical trials and evidence-based interventions to improve maternal and child health. 

Current major research projects include:

  1. A Randomized Trial of Quadruple Fortified Salt for Anemia and Birth Defects Prevention in Southern India (PI), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  2. Impact of Multiple Micronutrient-Fortified Salt on Gut Microbiome in Women of Reproductive Age (PI), United States Department of Agriculture
  3. Pediatric Epidemiology and Adolescent and Child Health (PEACH IV) (PI), United States Department of Agriculture
  4. Periconceptional Surveillance for Prevention of Anemia and Birth Defects in India (PI), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  5. Training in Maternal and Child Nutrition (PI), National Institutes of Health
  6. Determination of Iron and Inflammation Biomarkers in Saliva, National Institutes of Health
Teaching and advising statement

 Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. —Plutarch

Teaching is most effective when I am able to make a personal connection with students and bring my experiences from the field into the classroom. My training in nutrition, epidemiology, and public health has shaped my perspectives in teaching and mentoring. As an epidemiologist, scientist, and public health researcher, I envision my role is to mentor and inspire the next generation of leaders in the field of international nutrition and maternal and child health: to inspire students to find a nutritional problem that fascinates them, to challenge them to think critically about its burden and etiology, to evaluate scientific evidence, and to apply knowledge and skills to develop solutions to improve human health.

I enjoy teaching nutrition, epidemiology, and research methods to undergraduate and graduate students, and health care professionals in domestic and international settings. In my teaching approach, I emphasize establishing a strong foundation in biological sciences and quantitative methods, and the development of critical thinking and analytic skills. I use case studies and problem-based learning to evaluate and translate evidence to public health practice.  I encourage individual leadership and collaborative work in multidisciplinary teams, in the application of research methods to improve public health.

In the Division of Nutritional Sciences, I teach NS3600 | NS5600 Epidemiology, the foundational methods course in our Global and Public Health Sciences undergraduate major, NS6200 Translational Research and Evidence-based Policy and Practice in Nutrition, and the B-Vitamins section of NS6310 Micronutrients: Function, Homeostasis and Assessment, which focuses on key nutrients in one-carbon metabolism, vitamin B12, folate, and choline. I also serve as an instructor in our annual World Health Organization/Cochrane/Cornell Summer Institute for Systematic Reviews in Nutrition for Global Policy Making, and guest lecturer in courses in nutrition, epidemiology, and maternal and child health. I serve as faculty advisor for students in the graduate fields of nutrition and epidemiology at Cornell, advise undergraduate students in Global and Public Health Sciences and Human Biology Health and Society, and mentor undergraduate, masters, doctoral, and postdoctoral scholars as part of my maternal and child nutrition research program. 

Courses taught

NS6140: Maternal and Child Nutrition and Health

NS6200: Translational Research and Evidence-based Policy and Practice in Nutrition

NS6310: Micronutrients: Function, Homeostasis and Assessment: B-Vitamins section

NS3600 | NS5600: Epidemiology

NS6160: Maternal and Child Nutrition Seminar

NS4010 : Empirical Research

NS6010 : Special Topics for Graduate Students

Cochrane: WHO/Cochrane/Cornell Summer Institute for Systematic Reviews in Nutrition for Global Policy Making

Selected publications

Research Publications

Publications

  1. Finkelstein JL, Cuthbert A, Weeks J, Venkatramanan+, Larvie DY+, De-Regil LM, Garcia-Casal MN. Daily oral iron supplementation during pregnancy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2024 Aug 15;8(8):CD004736. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004736.pub6. PMID: 39145520; PMCID: PMC11325660.
  2. Finkelstein JL, Fothergill A*, Venkatramanan S+, Layden AJf, Williams JL, Crider KS, Qi YP. Vitamin B12 supplementation during pregnancy for maternal and child health outcomes. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2024 Jan 8;1(1):CD013823. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013823.pub2. PMID: 38189492; PMCID: PMC10772977.
    Protocol: Finkelstein JL, Fothergill A*, Qi YP, Crider KS. Vitamin B12 supplementation during pregnancy for maternal and child health outcomes. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2020, Issue 12. Art. No.: CD013823. 
  3. Guetterman HM*, Rajagopalan K*, Fox AM^, Johnson CB, Fothergill A*, George N, Krisher JT, Haas JD, Mehta S, Williams JL, Crider KS, Finkelstein JL. A Randomized Crossover Trial of Acceptability of Quadruple-Fortified Salt in Women and their Households in Southern India. J Nutr. 2024 Oct 26:S0022-3166(24)01114-3. doi: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.10.037. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39490799.
  4. Ji N*, Kumar A, Joe W, Kuriyan R, Sethi V, Finkelstein JL, Mehta S. Prevalence and Correlates of Double and Triple Burden of Malnutrition Among Children and Adolescents in India: Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey. J Nutr. 2024 Aug 27:S0022-3166(24)00472-3. doi: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.08.021. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39209112.
  5. Locks LM, Parekh A, Newell K, Dauphinais MR, Cintron C, Maloomian K, Yu EA, Finkelstein JL, Mehta S, Sinha P. The ABCDs of nutritional assessment in infectious diseases research. J Infect Dis. 2024 Nov 6:jiae540. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiae540. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39504432.
  6. Dauphinais MR, Koura KG, Narasimhan PB, Mehta S, Finkelstein JL, Heysell SK, Sinha P. Nutritionally acquired immunodeficiency must be addressed with the same urgency as HIV to end tuberculosis. BMC Global and Public Health 2, 4 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s44263-023-00035-0.
  7. Mehta NH^, Huey SL+, Kuriyan R, Peña-Rosas JP, Finkelstein JL, Kashyap S, Mehta S. Potential Mechanisms of Precision Nutrition-Based Interventions for Managing Obesity. Adv Nutr. 2024 Mar;15(3):100186. doi: 10.1016/j.advnut.2024.100186. Epub 2024 Feb 3. PMID: 38316343; PMCID: PMC10914563.
  8. Sinha S+, Huey SL+, Shukla AP, Kuriyan R, Finkelstein JL, Mehta S. Connecting precision nutrition with the Food is Medicine approach. Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2024 Sep 27:S1043-2760(24)00251-0. doi: 10.1016/j.tem.2024.08.012. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39341732.
  9. Finkelstein JL, Guetterman HM*, Fothergill A*, Johnson CB, Qi YP, Jabbar S, Zhang M, Pfeiffer CM, Rose CE, Yeung LF, Williams JL, Krisher JT, Ruth C, Choudhury DR+, Venkatramanan S, Haas JD, Kuriyan R, Mehta S, Crider KS. A Randomized Trial of Quadruple Fortified Salt for Anemia and Birth Defects Prevention in Southern India: Protocol Design and Methods. Current Developments in Nutrition. 2023 Feb 21;7(3): 100052. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cdnut.2023.100052. PMID: 37181934
  10. Fothergill A*, Crider KS, Rose CE, Bose B, Guetterman HM*, Johnson CB, Jabbar S, Zhang M, Pfeiffer CM, Qi YP, Williams JL, Kuriyan R, Bonam W, Finkelstein JL. Estimating the serum folate concentration associated with the red blood cell folate concentration threshold for optimal neural tube defects prevention: A population-based biomarker survey in women of reproductive age in Southern India. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2023 May; 117(5): 985-997. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.01.016. PMID: 37137617.
    Accompanying Editorial: Shane B, Stover PJ. First things first-addressing frank nutrient deficiencies must remain a priority in the age of precision nutrition. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2023 May;117(5):844-846. doi: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.03.008. Epub 2023 Apr 19. PMID: 37137614.
  11. Fothergill A*, Crider KS, Johnson CB, Raj MP, Guetterman HM*, Bose B, Rose CE, Qi YP, Williams JL, Kuriyan R, Bonam W, Finkelstein JL. Comparison of Anemia Screening Methods Using Paired Venous Samples in Women of Reproductive Age in Southern India. Journal of Nutrition. 2023 Jan 14; 152(12): 2978-2992. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxac218. PMID: 36130238. 
  12. Bandyopadhyay S+, Puttaswamy D, Phillip MP, J Jaykumar, Finkelstein JL, Selvam S, Kurpad AV, Kuriyan R. Estimation of hydration and density of fat-free mass in Indian children using a 4-compartment model: Implications for the estimation of body composition using 2-compartment models. Journal of Nutrition. 2023. Feb;153(2):435-442. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2022.12.025. PMID: 36894236. 
  13. Finkelstein JL, Fothergill A*, Guetterman HM*, Johnson CB, Bose B, Qi YP, Rose CE, Williams JL, Mehta S, Kuriyan R, Bonam W, and Crider KS. Iron Status and Inflammation in Women of Reproductive Age: A Population-Based Biomarker Survey and Clinical Study. Clinical Nutrition ESPEN. 2022 Mar 4: doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnesp.2022.02.123. PMID: 35623855.
  14. Finkelstein JL, Fothergill A*, Johnson CB, Guetterman HM*, Bose B, Ruth C, Jabbar S, Zhang M, Pfeiffer CM, Qi YP, Rose CE, Williams JL, Bonam W, Crider KS. Anemia and Vitamin B-12 and Folate Status in Women of Reproductive Age in Southern India: Estimating Population-Based Risk of Neural Tube Defects. Current Developments in Nutrition. 2021 Apr 26;5(5): nzab069. doi: 10.1093/cdn/nzab069. PMID: 34027296.
  15. Finkelstein JL, Fothergill A*, Krisher JT, Thomas T, Kurpad AV, Dwarkanath P. Maternal vitamin B12 deficiency and perinatal outcomes in southern India. PLoS One. 2021 Apr 6;16(4):e0248145. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248145. eCollection 2021. PMID: 33822790.  
  16. Guetterman HM*, Huey SL+, Knight R, Fox AM^, Mehta S, and Finkelstein JL. Vitamin B-12 and the Gastrointestinal Microbiome: A Systematic Review. Advances in Nutrition. 2021 Oct 6. 2022 Mar; 13:2: 530–558. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmab123. PMID: 34612492.
  17. Bandyopadhyay S+, Puttaswamy D, Phillip MP, J Jaykumar, Finkelstein JL, Selvam S, Kurpad AV, Kuriyan R. Estimation of hydration and density of fat-free mass in Indian children using a 4-compartment model: Implications for the estimation of body composition using 2-compartment models. Journal of Nutrition. 2022. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2022.12.025.
  18. Mehta S, Huey SL+, McDonald D, Knight R, and Finkelstein JL. Nutritional Interventions and the Gut Microbiome in Children. Annual Review of Nutrition. 2021 Oct 11;41:479-510. doi: 10.1146/annurev-nutr-021020-025755. PMID: 34283919.
  19. Mehta S, Huey SL, Ghugre PS, Potdar RD, Venkatramanan S, Krisher JT, Ruth CJ, Chopra HV, Thorat A, Thakker V, Johnson L, Powis L, Raveendran Y, Haas JD, Finkelstein JL, Udipi SA; Project Sabal. A randomized trial of iron- and zinc-biofortified pearl millet-based complementary feeding in children aged 12 to 18 months living in urban slums. Clinical Nutrition. 2022 Feb 24;41(4):937-947. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2022.02.014. PMID: 35299084.
  20. Caniglia EC, Zash R, Swnson SA, Smith E, Sudfeld C, Finkelstein JL, Diseko M, Mayondi G, Mmalane M, Makhema J, Fawzi WW Lockman S, Shapiro RL. Iron, folic acid, and multiple micronutrient supplementation strategies during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes in Botswana. Lancet Global Health. The Lancet Global Health. 2022 June; 10(6): e850 - e861. doi:  https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(22)00126-7.
  21. Srinivasan B, Finkelstein JL, Erickson D, Mehta S. Point-of-Care Quantification of Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein for Screening Birth Defects in Resource-Limited Settings: Proof-of-Concept Study. JMIR Biomedical Engineering. 2021 Jan-Mar;6(1): e23527. PMID: 34746648.
  22. Colt S, Finkelstein JL, Gannon BM, Zambrano MP, Andrade, JK, Centeno-Tablante E*, August A, Erickson D, Cárdenas WB, Mehta S. Vitamin A status, inflammation adjustment, and immunologic response in the context of acute febrile illness: A pilot cohort study among pediatric patients. Clinical Nutrition. 2021 May;40(5):2837-2844. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2021.03.023. PMID: 33933750.
  23. Huey SL, Yu EA, Finkelstein JL, Brannon PM, Glesby MJ, Bonam W, Russell DG, Mehta S. Nutrition, Inflammation, and the Gut Microbiota among Outpatients with Active Tuberculosis Disease in India. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Hyg. 2021 Oct 18;105(6):1645–56. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.21-0310. PMID: 34662867.  
  24. Centeno-Tablante E*, Medina-Rivera M, Finkelstein JL, Rayco-Solon P, Garcia-Casal MN, Rogers L, Ghezzi-Kopel K, Ridwan P, Peña-Rosas JP, Mehta S. Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through breast milk and breastfeeding: a living systematic review. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 2021 Jan;1484(1):32-54. doi: 10.1111/nyas.14477. PMID: 32860259.
  25. Medina-Rivera M, Centeno-Tablante E*, Finkelstein JL, Rayco-Solon P, Peña-Rosas JP, Garcia-Casal MN, Rogers L, Ridwan P, Martinez SS, Andrade J, Layden AJ, Chang J, Zambrano MP, Ghezzi-Kopel K, Mehta S. Presence of Ebola virus in breast milk and risk of mother-to-child transmission: synthesis of evidence. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 2021 Mar; 1488(1):33-43. doi: 10.1111/nyas.14519. PMID: 33113592.
  26. Centeno-Tablante E*, Medina-Rivera M, Finkelstein JL, Herman HS^, Rayco-Solon P, Garcia-Casal MN, Rogers, Ghezzi-Kopel, Zambrano Leal MP, Andrade Velasquez JK, Chang Asinc, Peña-Rosas JP, Mehta S. Update on the Transmission of Zika Virus Through Breast Milk and Breastfeeding: A Systematic Review of the Evidence. Viruses. 2021 Jan 18;13(1):123. doi: 10.3390/v13010123.PMID: 33477428.
  27. Finkelstein JL, Fothergill A*, Johnson CB, Guetterman HM*, Bose B, Jabbar S, Zhang M, Pfeiffer CM, Qi YP, Rose CE, Krisher JT, Ruth CJ, Mehta R, Williams JL, Bonam W, Crider KS. Periconceptional surveillance for prevention of anaemia and birth defects in Southern India: protocol for a biomarker survey in women of reproductive age. British Medical Journal Open. 2020 Oct 29; 10(10):e038305. PMID: 33122315.
  28. Finkelstein JL, Herman HS^, Plenty A, Mehta S, Natureeba P, Clark TD, Kamya MR, Ruel T, Charlebois ED, Cohan D, Havlir D, Young SL. Anemia and Micronutrient Status during Pregnancy, and Their Associations with Obstetric and Infant Outcomes among HIV-Infected Ugandan Women Receiving Antiretroviral Therapy. Current Developments in Nutrition. 2020 Apr 25; 4(5):nzaa075. PMID: 32440638.
  29. Finkelstein JL, Colt S, Layden AJ^, Krisher JT, Stewart-Ibarra AM, Polhemus M, Beltrán-Ayala E, Tedesco JM^, Cárdenas WB, Endy T, Mehta S. Micronutrients, Immunological Parameters, and Dengue Virus Infection in Coastal Ecuador: A Nested Case-Control Study in an Infectious Disease Surveillance Program. Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2020 Jan 1;221(1):91-101. PMID: 31428794.
  30. Finkelstein JL, Kurpad AV, Bose B, Thomas T, Srinivasan K, Duggan C. Anaemia and iron deficiency in pregnancy and adverse perinatal outcomes in Southern India. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2020 Jan;74(1):112-125. PMID: 31296936.
  31. Yu EA, Finkelstein JL, Brannon PM, Bonam W, Russell DG, Glesby MJ, Mehta S. Nutritional assessment among adult patients with suspected or confirmed active tuberculosis disease in rural India. PLOS One. 2020 May 22; 15(5):e0233306. PMID: 32442216.
  32. Ruth CJ, Huey SL, Krisher JT, Fothergill A*, Gannon BM, Jones CE, Centeno-Tablante E*, Hackl LS, Colt S, Finkelstein JL, Mehta S. An Electronic Data Capture Framework (ConnEDCt) for Global and Public Health Research: Design and Implementation. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 2020 Aug 13;22(8):e18580. doi: 10.2196/18580. PMID: 32788154.
  33. Huey SL, Jiang L, Fedarko MW, McDonald D, Martino C, Ali F, Russell DG, Udipi SA, Thorat A, Thakker V, Ghugre P, Potdar RD, Chopra H, Rajagopalan K, Haas JD, Finkelstein JL, Knight R, Mehta S. Nutrition and the Gut Microbiota in 10- to 18-Month-Old Children Living in Urban Slums of Mumbai, India. mSphere. 2020 Sep 23; 5(5):e00731-20. PMID: 32968008. 
  34. Finkelstein JL, Fothergill A*, Hackl LS, Haas JD, Mehta S. Iron biofortification interventions to improve iron status and functional outcomes. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 2019 Jan 30:1-11. PMID: 30698117.
  35. Finkelstein JL, Guillet R, Pressman EK, Fothergill A*, Kent TR, Guetterman HM*, O’Brien KO. Vitamin B12 Status in Pregnant Adolescents and their Infants. Nutrients. 2019 Feb 13;11(2). PMID: 30781902.  
  36. Finkelstein JL, Mehta S, Luna SV, Rahn M, Villapando V, Mundo V, Shamah-Levy T, Beebe SE, Haas JD. A Randomized Trial of Iron-Biofortified Beans in School Children in Mexico. Nutrients. 2019 Feb 12;11(2). PMID: 30759887.
  37. Huey SL, Finkelstein JL, Venkatramanan S, Udipi SA, Ghugre P, Thakker V, Thorat A, Potdar RD, Chopra HV, Kurpad AV, Haas JD, Mehta S. Prevalence and Correlates of Undernutrition in Young Children Living in Urban Slums of Mumbai, India: A Cross Sectional Study. Frontiers in Public Health. 2019 Jul 12;7:191. PMID: 31355176. 
  38. Rey E, Finkelstein JL, Erickson D [Co-corresponding author]. Point-Of-Care Assessment of Folate Status Using a Fluorescence Lateral Flow Assay. PLOS One. 2019 Jun 5; 14(6):e0217403. PMID: 31166978.
  39. Gannon BM, Thakker V, Bonam V, Haas JD, Bonam W, Finkelstein JL, Udipi SA, and Mehta S. A Randomized Crossover Study to Evaluate Recipe Acceptability in Breastfeeding Mothers and Young Children in India Targeted for a Multiple Biofortified Food Crop Intervention. Food and Nutrition Bulletin. 2019 Jul 30: 379572119855588. PMID: 31359782.
  40. Srinivasan B, Finkelstein JL, O'Dell D, Erickson D, Mehta S. Rapid diagnostics for point-of-care quantification of soluble transferrin receptor. EBioMedicine. 2019 Mar 15. PMID: 30885726. 
  41. Gannon BM, Glesby MJ, Finkelstein JL, Raj J, Erickson E, Mehta S. A point-of-care assay for alpha-1-acid glycoprotein as a diagnostic tool for rapid, mobile-based determination of inflammation. Current Research in Biotechnology. 2018 Nov; 1: 41-18. PMID: 32342042.  
  42. Kim J, Cao XE, Finkelstein JL, Cárdenas WB, Erickson D, Mehta S. A two-colour multiplexed lateral flow immunoassay system to differentially detect human malaria species on a single test line. Malaria Journal. 2019 Sep 18;18(1):313. PMID: 31533756.
  43. Chen SX, Rasmussen KM, Finkelstein JL, Støvring H, Nøhr EA, Kirkegaard H. Maternal reproductive history and premenopausal risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease: A Danish cohort study. 2019 Nov 4;9(11):e030702. PMID: 31690605.
  44. Layden AJ^, Täse K^, and Finkelstein JL. Neglected tropical diseases and vitamin B12: A review of the current evidence. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 2018 Aug 28. PMID: 30165408.
  45. Srinivasan B, O’Dell D, Finkelstein JL, Lee S, Erickson D, Mehta S. ironPhone: Mobile device-coupled point-of-care diagnostics for assessment of iron status by quantification of serum ferritin. Biosensors and Bioelectronics. 2018 Jan 15; 99:115–121. PMID: 28750335.
  46. Stewart-Ibarra AM, Ryan SJ, Kenneson A, King CA, Abbott M, Barbachano-Guerrero A, Beltrán-Ayala E, Borbor-Cordova MJ, Cárdenas WB, Cueva C, Finkelstein JL, Lupone CD, Jarman RG, Maljkovic Berry I, Mehta S, Polhemus M, Silva M, Endy TP. The Burden of Dengue Fever and Chikungunya in Southern Coastal Ecuador: Epidemiology, Clinical Presentation, and Phylogenetics from the First Two Years of a Prospective Study. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 2018 May;98(5):1444–1459. PMID: 29512482.
  47. Ryan SJ, Stewart-Ibarra AM, Ordonez E, Chu W^, Finkelstein JL, King CA, Escobar LE, Lupone C, Heras FD, Tauzer E, Waggoner E, James TG, Cardenas WB, Polhemus M. Spatiotemporal variation in environmental cholera (Vibrio cholerae) in an estuary in southern coastal Ecuador. Infectious Diseases of Poverty. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. PMID: 29534431.
  48. Finkelstein JL, Haas JD, Mehta S. Iron-biofortified staple food crops for improving iron status: A review of the current evidence. Current Opinion in Biotechnology 2017, 44: 138–145. PMID: 28131049.
  49. Finkelstein JL, Kurpad AV, Thomas T, Srinivasan K, Duggan C. Vitamin B12 Status in Pregnant Women and their Infants in South India. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2017 Apr 12. PMID: 28402324.
  50. Srinivasan B, O’Dell D, Finkelstein JL, Lee S, Erickson D, Mehta S. ironPhone: Mobile device-coupled point-of-care diagnostics for assessment of iron status by quantification of serum ferritin. Biosensors and Bioelectronics. 2017 Jul 19. 99 (2018) 115–121. PMID: 28750335.
  51. De Steur H, Mehta S, Gellynck X, and Finkelstein JL. GM biofortified crops: potential effects on targeting the micronutrient intake gap in human populations. Current Opinion in Biotechnology. 2017 Apr; 44:181–188. PMID: 28288329.
  52. Mehta S, Huey SL, Udipi SA, Finkelstein JL, Ghugre P, Haas JD, Thakker V, Thorat A, Salvi A, Kurpad AV. Effect of Iron- and Zinc-Biofortified Pearl Millet Consumption on Growth, Immune Competence and Cognitive Function in Children Aged 12–18 Months in India—Study Protocol for a Randomised Controlled Trial. BMJ Open. 2017 Oct 02. PMID: 28971097.
  53. Stewart-Ibarra AM, Ryan SJ, Kenneson A, King CA, Abbott M, Barbachano-Guerrero A, Beltran-Ayala E, Borbor-Cordova MJ, Cardenas W, Cueva C, Finkelstein JL, Lupone CD, Jarman RG, Berry IM, Mehta S, Polhemus M, Silva M, and Endy TP. The burden of dengue and chikungunya in southern coastal Ecuador: Epidemiology, clinical presentation, and phylogenetics from a prospective study in Machala in 2014 and 2015. Sep 29, 2017. American Journal of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. PMID: 29512482.
  54. Huey SL, Venkatramanan S, Udipi SA, Finkelstein JL, Ghugre P, Haas JD, Thakker V, Thorat A, Salvi A, Kurpad AV and Mehta S. Acceptability of Iron- and Zinc-Biofortified Pearl Millet (ICTP-8203)-Based Complementary Foods among Children in an Urban Slum of Mumbai, India. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2017 Aug 25, 4: 39. PMID: 28971097.
  55. Colt S, Garcia-Casal MN, Peña-Rosas J, Finkelstein JL, Rayco-Solon P, Weise Prinzo Z, Mehta S. Transmission of Zika virus through breast milk and other breastfeeding-related bodily-fluids: A systematic review. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 2017 Apr 10; 11(4): e0005528. PMID: 28394887.
  56. Boy E, Haas JD, Petry N, Cercamondi C, Gahutu JB, Mehta S, Finkelstein JL, Hurrell RF. Efficacy of Iron-Biofortified Crops. African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development Impact. April 2017. 17(2): 3. 11879–11892.
  57. Venkatramanan S+, Armata IE^, Strupp BJ, and Finkelstein JL. Vitamin B-12 and Cognition in Children. Advances in Nutrition. 2016; 7:1–10. PMID: 27633104.
  58. Layden AJ^, O’Brien KO, Pressman EK, Cooper EM, Kent TR, and Finkelstein JL. Vitamin B12 and Placental Transcobalamin Expression in Pregnant Adolescents. Placenta. 2016; 45:1–7. PMID: 27577703.
  59. Herman HS^, Mehta S, Cárdenas WB, Stewart-Ibarra AM, and Finkelstein JL. Micronutrients and Leptospirosis: A Review of the Current Evidence. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 2016; 10(7). PMID: 27387046.
  60. Chung HJ^, Han SH, Kim H, Finkelstein JL. Childhood immunizations in China: disparities in health care access in children born to North Korean refugees. BMC Int Health Hum Rights. 2016 Apr 13;16(1):13. PMID: 27074957.
  61. Handel A, Beltrán Ayala E, Borbor Cordova MJ, Fessler AG^, Finkelstein JL, Robalino Espinoza RX, Ryan SJ, Stewart Ibarra AM. Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Dengue Infection Among Public Sector Healthcare Providers in Machala, Ecuador. BMC Tropical Diseases, Travel Medicine, and Vaccines. 2016 2:8. PMID: 28883952.
  62. Finkelstein JL, Layden AJ^, Stover PJ. Vitamin B-12 and Perinatal Health. Advances in Nutrition. 2015; 6:1–12. PMID: 26374177.
  63. Finkelstein JL, Mehta S, Udipi SA, Ghugre PS, Luna SV, Wenger MJ, Murray-Kolb LE, Przybyszewski EM, Haas JD. A Randomized Trial of Iron-Biofortified Pearl Millet in School Children in India. Journal of Nutrition. 2015 Jul; 145(7): 1576–81. PMID: 25948782.
  64. Finkelstein JL, Gala Pf, Rochford R, Glesby MJ, Mehta S. HIV/AIDS and Lipodystrophy: Implications for clinical management in resource-limited settings. Journal of the International AIDS Society. 2015, 18:19033. PMID: 25598476.
  65. Escobar LE, Ryan SJ, Stewart-Ibarra AM, Finkelstein JL, King CA, Qiao H, Polhemus M. A Global Map of Suitability for Coastal Vibrio cholerae Under Current and Future Climate Conditions. Acta Tropica. 2015 Jun 2. PMID: 26048558.
  66. Martiniova L, Field MS, Finkelstein JL, Perry CA, Stover PJ. Maternal dietary uridine causes, and deoxyuridine prevents, neural tube closure defects in a mouse model of folate-responsive neural tube defects. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2015 Apr; 101(4): 860–9. PMID: 25833982.
  67. Finkelstein JL, Pressman EK, Cooper EM, Kent TR, Bar HY, O’Brien KO. Vitamin D Status Affects Serum Metabolomic Profiles in Pregnant Adolescents. Reproductive Sciences. 2015 Jun;22(6):685-95. doi: 10.1177/1933719114556477. PMID: 25367051.
  68. De Moura FF, Palmer AC, Finkelstein JL, Haas JD, Murray-Kolb LE, Wenger MJ, Birol E, Boy E, Peña-Rosas JP. Are Biofortified Staple Food Crops Improving Vitamin A and Iron Status in Women and Children? New Evidence from Efficacy Trials. Advances in Nutrition. 2014 Sep;5(5):568-70. doi: 10.3945/an.114.006627. PMID: 25469399.
  69. Ahmed S, Finkelstein JL, Stewart A, Kenneth J, Polhemus M, Endy T, Mehta S. Micronutrients and Dengue: A Review of the Current Evidence. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 2014 Nov;91(5):1049-56. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.14-0142. PMID: 25200269.  
  70. Stewart Ibarra AM, Muñoz AG, Ryan SJ, Borbor MJ, Beltran Ayala E, Finkelstein JL, Mejia R, Ordoñez T, Recalde Coronel C, Rivero K. Spatiotemporal clustering, climate periodicity, and social-ecological risk factors for dengue during an outbreak in Machala, Ecuador, in 2010. BMC Infectious Diseases. 2014 Nov 25;14:610. doi: 10.1186/s12879-014-0610-4. PMID: 25420543.  
  71. Duggan C, Srinivasan K, Thomas T, Samuel T, Rajendran R, Muthayya S, Finkelstein JL, Lukose A, Fawzi W, Allen LH, Bosch RJ, Kurpad AV. Vitamin B-12 Supplementation during Pregnancy and Early Lactation Increases Maternal, Breast Milk, and Infant Measures of Vitamin B-12 Status. Journal of Nutrition. 2014 May;144(5):758-64. doi: 10.3945/jn.113.187278. PMID: 24598885.
  72. Kuriyan R, Griffiths JK, Finkelstein JL, Thomas T, Raj T, Bosch R, Kurpad AV, Duggan C. Innovations in Nutrition Education and Global Health: The Bangalore Boston Nutrition Collaborative. BMC Medical Education. 2014 Jan 8; 14:5. doi: 10.1186/1472-6920-14-5. PMID: 24400811.
  73. Finkelstein JL, O’Brien KO, Abrams SA, Zavaleta N. Infant Iron Status Impacts Iron Absorption in Peruvian Breast-fed Infants at Two and Five Months of Age. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2013 Dec;98(6):1475-84. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.112.056945. PMID: 24088721.
  74. Finkelstein JL, Mehta S, Duggan CP, Spiegelman D, Aboud S, Kupka R, Msamanga GI, Fawzi WW. Predictors of anaemia and iron deficiency in HIV-infected pregnant women in Tanzania: a potential role for vitamin D and parasitic infections. Public Health Nutrition. 2012 May;15(5):928-37. doi: 10.1017/S1368980011002369. PMID: 22014374.
  75. Finkelstein JL, Mehta S, Duggan C, Manji KP, Mugusi FM, Aboud S, Spiegelman D, Msamanga GI, Fawzi WW. Maternal Vitamin D Status and Child Morbidity, Anemia, and Growth in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-exposed Children in Tanzania. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. 2012 Feb;31(2):171-5. doi: 10.1097/INF.0b013e318245636b. PMID: 22252204.
  76. Finkelstein JL, Manji KP, Duggan C, Hertzmark E, Mehta S, Msamanga GI, Spiegelman D, Fawzi WW. Predictors of incident tuberculosis in HIV-exposed children in Tanzania. East African Medical Journal. 2012 Jun; 89(6): 183–192. PMID: 26856040.
  77. Finkelstein JL, Mehta S, Fawzi WW. HIV and iron-deficiency anaemia. Public Health Nutrition. 2012 Mar 20:1.   
  78. Samuel TM, Thomas T, Finkelstein JL, Bosch R, Rajendran R, Virtanen SM, Srinivasan K, Kurpad AV, Duggan C. Correlates of anaemia in pregnant urban South Indian women: a possible role of dietary intake of nutrients that inhibit iron absorption. Public Health Nutrition. 2013 Feb;16(2):316-24. doi: 10.1017/S136898001200119X. PMID: 22575487.
  79. Blossom JC, Finkelstein JL, Guan WW, Burns B. Applying GIS Methods to Public Health Research at Harvard University. Journal of Map and Geographic Libraries: Geographic Opportunities in Medicine. 2011 Jun; 7:3, 349–376.
  80. Guan W, Burns B, Finkelstein JL, Blossom JC. Enabling Geographic Research Across Disciplines: Building an institutional infrastructure for geographic analysis at Harvard University. Journal of Map and Geographic Libraries: Geographic Opportunities in Medicine. 2011 Jan: 7(1), 36–60.
  81. Njelekela MA, Liu E, Mpembeni R, Muhihi A, Mligiliche N, Spiegelman D, Finkelstein JL, Fawzi WW, Willett WC, Mtabaji J. Socio-economic status, urbanization, and cardiometabolic risk factors among middle-aged adults in Tanzania. East African Journal of Public Health. 2011 Sep;8(3):216-23. PMID: 23120960.
  82. Mehta S, Mugusi FM, Spiegelman D, Villamor E, Finkelstein JL, Hertzmark E, Giovannucci EL, Msamanga GI, Fawzi WW. Vitamin D Status and its Association with Morbidity Including Wasting and Opportunistic Illnesses in HIV-Infected Women in Tanzania. AIDS Patient Care STDS. 2011 Oct; 25(10): 579–85. PMID: 21916603.
  83. Mehta S, Mugusi FM, Bosch R, Aboud S, Chatterjee A, Finkelstein JL, Fataki M, Kisenge R, Fawzi, WW. A randomized trial of micronutrient supplementation in children with tuberculosis in Tanzania. Nutrition Journal. 2011 Oct 31;10:120. doi: 10.1186/1475-2891-10-120. PMID: 22039966.
  84. Fawzi MC, Lambert W, Boehm F, Finkelstein JL, Singler JM, Léandre F, Nevil P, Bertrand D, Claude MS, Bertrand J, Louissaint M, Jeannis L, Farmer PE, Yang AT, Mukherjee JS. Economic Risk Factors for HIV Infection Among Women in Rural Haiti: Implications for HIV Prevention Policies and Programs in Resource-Poor Settings. Journal of Women’s Health (Larchmt). 2010 May;19(5):885-92. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2008.1334. PMID: 20380576.
  85. Njelekela MA, Mpembeni R, Muhihi A, Mligiliche NL, Spiegelman D, Hertzmark E, Liu E, Finkelstein JL, Fawzi WW, Willett WC, Mtabaji J. Gender-related differences in the prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors and their correlates in urban Tanzania. BMC Cardiovascular Disorders. 2009 Jul 17;9:30. doi: 10.1186/1471-2261-9-30. PMID: 19615066.  
  86. Kupka R, Mugusi F, Aboud S, Msamanga GI, Finkelstein JL, Spiegelman D, Fawzi WW. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of selenium supplements among HIV-infected pregnant women in Tanzania: Effects on maternal and child outcomes. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2008 Jun;87(6):1802-8. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/87.6.1802. PMID: 18541571.  
  87. Finkelstein JL, Schleinitz MD, Carabin H, McGarvey ST. Decision-model estimation of the age-specific disability weight for schistosomiasis japonica. PloS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 2008 Mar 5;2(3):e158.: 18320018. Accompanied by an Editorial Commentary: King CH. Schistosomiasis Japonica: The DALYs Recaptured. PloS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 2008 Mar 5;2(3):e203. PMID: 18320017. 
     

*Mentees: +Postdoctoral associate, *Doctoral student, ~Masters student, ^Undergraduate student, medical student 
 

Cochrane Systematic Reviews

  1. Finkelstein JL, Cuthbert A, Weeks J, Venkatramanan+, Larvie DY+, De-Regil LM, Garcia-Casal MN. Daily oral iron supplementation during pregnancy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2024 Aug 15;8(8):CD004736. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004736.pub6. PMID: 39145520; PMCID: PMC11325660.
  2. Finkelstein JL, Fothergill A*, Venkatramanan S+, Layden AJf, Williams JL, Crider KS, Qi YP. Vitamin B12 supplementation during pregnancy for maternal and child health outcomes. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2024 Jan 8;1(1):CD013823. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013823.pub2. PMID: 38189492; PMCID: PMC10772977.
  3. Güitrón Leal C*, Palma Molina X*, Venkatramanan S+, Williams JL, Kuriyan R, Crider KS, and Finkelstein JL. Vitamin B12 supplementation for growth, development, and cognition in children. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. In press.
  4. Crider KS, Williams JL, Qi YP, Gutman J, Yeung LF, Mai CT, Finkelstein JL, Mehta S, Pons-Duran C, Menéndez C, Moraleda C, Rogers LM, Daniels K, Green P. Folic acid supplementation and malaria susceptibility and severity among people taking antifolate antimalarial drugs in endemic areas [Protocol]. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2022, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD014217.
  5. Finkelstein JL, Fothergill A*, Qi YP, Crider KS. Vitamin B12 supplementation during pregnancy for maternal and child health outcomes. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2020, Issue 12. Art. No.: CD013823. 
  6. Centeno Tablante E*, Pachón H, Guetterman HM*, Finkelstein JL. Fortification of wheat and maize flour with folic acid for population health outcomes. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2019 Jul 1; Issue 7: CD012150. PMID: 31257574.
  7. Finkelstein JL, Herman HS^, Guetterman H*, Peña-Rosas JP, and Mehta S. Daily iron supplementation for prevention or treatment of iron deficiency anaemia in infants, children and adolescents. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2018, Issue 12. Art. No.: CD013227.
  8. De-Regil LM, Finkelstein JL, Saeterdal I, Gaitán D, Peña-Rosas JP. Fortification of wheat and maize flour with folic acid for population health outcomes. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2016, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD012150. 

Chapters, Technical Papers, and Proceedings

  1. Huey SL, Mehta S, and Finkelstein JL. Nutrition during the preschool years. Encyclopedia of Human Nutrition, 4th Edition. Reference Module in Food Science. 2021. ISBN 9780081005965.  
  2. Finkelstein JL and Mehta S. Micronutrients in HIV-infected Pregnant Women and their Children. In Nutrition and HIV: Epidemiological Evidence to Public Health Practice, edited by Mehta S and Finkelstein JL. New York (NY): CRC Press; 2018 May 15. Chapter 6. PMID: 34288621.
  3. Layden AJ^ and Finkelstein JL. B-vitamins and HIV/AIDS. In Nutrition and HIV: Epidemiological Evidence to Public Health Practice, edited by Mehta S and Finkelstein JL. New York (NY): CRC Press; 2018 May 15. Chapter 2. PMID: 34288620.
  4. Khondakar NR^ and Finkelstein JL. Iron and HIV/AIDS. In Nutrition and HIV: Epidemiological Evidence to Public Health Practice, edited by Mehta S and Finkelstein JL. New York (NY): CRC Press; 2018 May 15. Chapter 3. PMID: 34288622.
  5. Finkelstein JL, Aribindi H^, Herman HS^, and Mehta S. Micronutrients and HIV in Pediatric Populations. In Nutrition and HIV: Epidemiological Evidence to Public Health Practice, edited by Mehta S and Finkelstein JL. New York (NY): CRC Press; 2018 May 15. Chapter 8. PMID: 34288620.
  6. Borbor-Cordova MJ, Beltran Ayala E, Cárdenas WB, Endy T, Finkelstein JL, King C, Leon R, Muñoz Á, Mejia R, Polhemus M, Recalde Coronel G, Ryan SJ, Stewart-Ibarra AM. Vector-virus microclimate surveillance system for dengue control in Machala, Ecuador. World Health Organization Case Study 5.C. Climate Services for Health. June 2016. Publisher: WHO–WMO, Editors: Joy Shumake-Guillemot, pp. 106–108.
  7. Finkelstein JL, Mugusi FM, Mehta S, Fawzi WW. HIV/AIDS and Nutrition in the HAART Era: Programmatic implications for HIV/AIDS care and treatment in resource-limited settings. In From the Ground Up: Building Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Care Programs in Resource-Limited Settings, edited by Marlink RG, Teitelman SJ. Washington, DC: Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, 2009.
  8. Mehta S, Finkelstein JL, Fawzi WW. Micronutrient status and pregnancy outcomes in HIV-infected women. Editors: Lammi-Keefe CJ, Couch SC, Philipson, E. Humana Press: Baton Rouge, LA. Handbook of Nutrition and Pregnancy 2008; 23: 355-365.   
  9. Mehta S, Finkelstein JL, Fawzi WW. Nutritional Interventions in HIV-Infected Breastfeeding Women. Ann Nestlé [Engl] 2007; 65: 39–48.

Invited Book 

Nutrition and HIV: Epidemiological Evidence to Public Health Practice. Mehta S, and Finkelstein JL, Eds. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, May 2018.

*Mentees: +Postdoctoral associates,*Doctoral students, ~Masters students, ^Undergraduate students, medical students 

Professional activities

Leadership Positions
Chair, Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) One-Carbon Metabolism
Co-Director, Joan Klein Jacobs Center for Precision Nutrition and Health 
Deputy Director, Affiliate Cochrane Center
Associate Director, PAHO | World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Nutrition Research for Health 

Scientific Advisory Boards, Panels, and Consensus Committees
External Expert, World Health Organization Nutrition Guidelines Group  Advisory Board Member, WorldMapSteering Committee, Harvard University Expert Consultant, World Health Organization

Faculty Appointments
Associate Professor, Division of Epidemiology, Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medical College
Associate Professor, St. John’s Research Institute, St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, Bangalore, India

Administrative positions

Director, Maternal and Child Nutrition Program, Cornell University

Co-Director, Joan Klein Jacobs Center for Precision Nutrition and Health

Associate Director, World Health Organization | PAHO Collaborating Centre for Nutrition Research for Health

Deputy Director, affiliate Cochrane Center for Nutrition

Education

2011, Doctor of Science, Harvard University

2010, Master of Science, Harvard University

2005, Master of Public Health, Brown University

2002, Bachelor of Science, McGill University

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