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I’m a first-year master’s student in the Dietetic concentration, working in the Aydemir Lab to study how zinc and its transporters regulate intestinal function and metabolic processes. My research interests include gut–adipocyte crosstalk and the role of zinc and zinc transporters in glucose and lipid metabolism. I earned my B.S. in Clinical Nutrition from the University of California, Davis, where I developed a strong foundation in clinical dietetics and nutrition support.

Yue (Jo) Jia is completing the dietetic internship program. She earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Nutrition from Bastyr University, where her training combined evidence-based practice with a holistic approach to health. Yue’s professional and research interests focus on the intersection of disordered eating, cultural identity, and food insecurity, with an emphasis on fostering positive relationships with food through inclusive, community-centered care. Her hands-on experience spans clinical, food service, and community nutrition, and

Shah Mohammad Fahim is a Ph.D. student in Nutrition, working with Dr. Saurabh Mehta. He is a physician and earned his MBBS from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. He later earned his M.P.H. in Epidemiology with Summa-Cum-Laude distinction from the American International University, Bangladesh. Before joining the Mehta Research Group, he was working for the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) conducting research on maternal and child nutrition. Fahim is passionate about understanding

Savita Sastry is a Ph.D. candidate in the Division of Nutritional Sciences, mentored by Dr. Tolunay Aydemir. Her research integrates experimental and computational approaches to uncover how zinc deficiency reshapes spatial host–microbe–nutrient interactions in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Combining multi-omics analyses, region-specific murine models, and ex vivo organoid systems, she investigates how zinc availability influences microbial function, intestinal barrier integrity, and tissue regeneration. Savita also develops computational pipelines to translate murine genomics and metagenomics insights

Sarah Hess is an Extension Associate with the Food and Nutrition Education in Communities (FNEC) group and the Regional Coordinator for the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) at Cornell University. In this role, she provides leadership and support to EFNEP staff, facilitates trainings, and contributes expertise in curriculum development and social media communication. Prior to her work at Cornell, Sarah led policy, systems, and environmental change initiatives in school wellness and delivered direct

Victoria completed her undergraduate studies in Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She went on to attain her Master’s of Public Health in Nutrition at the University of Michigan, where she also completed her dietetic internship. While at Michigan, Victoria contributed to a study examining how coparenting relationships influence children’s home food environments and anthropometrics. Her research interests focus onculinary medicine, food security, and maternal and child nutrition, with a long-term goal of

Valeria Savtyreva is a Master’s student in the Division of Nutritional Sciences on the Dietetics track. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Science, with a minor in Biological Science, from Rutgers University. In 2020, she began working at a bariatric practice, an experience that sparked her interest in the relationship between nutrition and metabolic health. As an undergraduate, Valeria conducted research on the connections between the gut microbiome, metabolism, and women’s health. At