Research areas

Nutrition for maternal and child health

Proper nutrition from preconception through early childhood lays the foundation for lifelong health. Collaborating with faculty across nutrition disciplines, we work to improve health and nutrition of mothers, infants and children.

overhead view of hands chopping green vegetables with piles of chopped yellow and red vegetables nearby

Nutrition for metabolic health

Chronic metabolic disorders like obesity, fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes are increasing rapidly. Through translational research, from cells to society, we uncover how nutrient metabolism can enhance metabolic health.

Angela Odoms-Young discusses a survey with two research assistants in Chicago, IL.

Nutrition for public health and equity 

Diet composition and quality vary widely across populations. We examine nutrition’s impact on public health and explore policies, programs and services to support communities disproportionately affected by diet-related chronic conditions.

A man fills a pipette in a nutrition lab.

Nutrition for precision health

Nutrition and health are deeply interconnected, yet standard dietary guidelines may not suit all individuals. We’re designing a holistic approach to personalized nutrition, integrating genetics, diet, circadian rhythms, health status, socioeconomic factors, food environments, physical activity and the microbiome to improve individual and population health.

Our research impact

Daniel Zhang electro spinning a blood sample

Our research, teaching and extension faculty

Lydia Afman

Courtesy Professor

Nutritional Sciences
woman sitting in a bright blue chair smiling

Assistant Clinical Professor

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Obesity, Disordered eating, Age related weight gain and weight cycling
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Assistant Professor

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Mitochondrial disease, Metabolic disease, Obesity
Tolunay Beker Aydemir

Assistant Professor

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Micronutrient-gene, Micronutrient-macronutrient, Micronutrient-disease
Laura Bellows

Associate Professor

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Public health interventions to improve nutrition and health, Mobile apps to help children learn about eating + movement, Digital interventions for parents to learn about health
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Andre Bensadoun Associate Professor

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Adipose tissue biology, Systemic metabolism
woman wearing a blue blazer and silver pendant necklace

The Alan D. Mathios Professor in the College of Human Ecology

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Nutritional genomics of lung phenotypes, Nutrition translation and evidence synthesis, Nutrition for precision health
paige

Assistant Professor

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Eating behavior, Sensory science, Obesity, Satiation and energy intake

Research Associate

Nutritional Sciences
David Erickson

Joint Professor

Nutritional Sciences
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Associate Professor

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Mitochondrial one-carbon metabolism, Erythritol as a biomarker
man in a blue button down shirt

Assistant Professor in Social and Behavioral Science in Nutrition

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Community-based interventions to promote nutrition security, Local agriculture and food insecurity, Urban food environments
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Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Epidemiology, One-carbon metabolism, Maternal and child nutrition

Extension Associate

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Food and nutrition education in communities, Farmer's market nutrition programs

Associate Professor

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Global nutrition (maternal and infant), Food systems, Nutritional and environmental determinants, Public health interventions and policy
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Associate Professor of Practice, Dietetic Internship Director

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Dietetics education and accreditation, Medical nutrition therapy + management

Courtesy Professor

Nutritional Sciences
woman outside

Assistant Professor

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Molecular regulation of human milk production, Human milk composition

Lecturer & Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) Director

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Dietetics, Early adolescent food choice, Community nutrition
zhenglong

Courtesy Professor

Nutritional Sciences
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Extension Associate

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Nutrition education, Low-income communities
man sitting in a bright blue chair

H.E. Babcock Professor of Food & Nutrition Economics and Policy

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Food security, Early life nutrition, Poverty
Samantha Lee Huey

Research Associate

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Maternal/child nutrition, Gut microbiome, Precision nutrition
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Associate Professor

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Host-microbe interactions, Infant nutrition, Sphingolipids

Courtesy Associate Professor

Nutritional Sciences
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Division Director; Schleifer Family Professor

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Lipid metabolism, Molecular response to fasting, Precision nutrition
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Associate Professor

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Nutrition and health equity, Adolescents, Community-based interventions
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Joint Professor

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Sustainable animal agriculture, Food security, Environmental protection

Associate Professor

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), Ovarian morphology and follicle development, Nutritional and metabolic regulation of ovulation
mduduzi

Courtesy Assistant Professor

Nutritional Sciences
Portrait of Melisa Medina Rivera

Lecturer

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Biomedical sciences, Biochemistry, Breastfeeding and viral disease transmission
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Janet and Gordon Lankton Professor

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Precision nutrition, Global health, Point-of-care diagnostics

Lecturer Visiting

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Human rights, Medicine
Eva Monterrosa

Courtesy Lecturer

Nutritional Sciences
marion

Courtesy Professor

Nutritional Sciences
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Professor

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Maternal/fetal nutrition, Vitamin D + iron, Gut microbiome
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The Nancy Schlegel Meinig Professor of Maternal and Child Nutrition

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Health equity/racism, Food and nutrition security, Social and structural determinants
Juan Pablo Peña-Rosas

Courtesy Professor

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
nutritional epidemiology, global policy, international nutrition
Erica Phillips

Joint Professor

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Cancer prevention
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Assistant Professor

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Precision nutrition, Gut microbiota and metabolic health, Oral microbiota and pathologies
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James Jamison Professor

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Translational reprogramming, Nutrient stress response, mRNA epigenetics
Kelly Quinn

Lecturer

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Community-engaged learning, Dietetics

Lecturer

Nutritional Sciences
Caitlin Romagnola

Courtesy Lecturer

Nutritional Sciences

Research Associate

Nutritional Sciences
David Sahn headshot

Professor

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Global health, Nutrition + economics in developing countries, Global food policy

Associate Director of Operations
EFNEP Coordinator

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Nutrition education with low income families and youth

Visiting Associate Professor

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Digital innovation, Technology Policy, Global sourcing
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Assistant Professor

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Molecular nutrition, Proteomics, Bioinformatics
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Assistant Professor

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Nutrition and metabolism in DNA damage, Cancer and aging, Targeted treatments for DNA damage
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Assistant Professor

Nutritional Sciences
Focus areas
Brain-body interactions that govern metabolic regulation
woman wearing glasses sitting in a blue chair

Courtesy Professor of Practice

Nutritional Sciences
Victor Wenze Zhong

Courtesy Assistant Professor

Nutritional Sciences