Monica Diaz is a master’s student in the Nutritional Sciences program at Arizona State University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics at Arizona State University and completed her dietetic internship at Iowa State University. Monica is currently working under the mentorship of Dr. Gabriel Shaibi on describing a process that guided an adaptation of a diabetes prevention program (DPP) for Latino families. Documenting the adaptation process of diabetes prevention programming has the potential to support future strategies to adapt and scale family based DPPs for diverse populations. Monica also practices as a Registered Dietitian and specializes in diabetes prevention and management in Latino populations. Monica is passionate about supporting families in identifying strategies to work together towards improving their health.
Leigh Martin is a fourth-year doctoral candidate in the department of Nutritional Sciences at The Pennsylvania State University. She earned her BS and MS degrees in Nutritional Sciences from The Pennsylvania State University, with a focus on dietetics in her undergraduate training. Currently, she is working under the mentorship of Dr. Alison Gernand, and her research interests include micronutrient biomarkers and plasma volume during pregnancy. Leigh's TRANSCEND research project aims to investigate how vitamin B12 biomarkers change across pregnancy, by systematically reviewing and analyzing the current available literature; this has not yet been completed for major pregnancy-related biomarkers and would fill an important knowledge gap. Leigh is very passionate about maternal and child health and nutrition, and the ultimate goal of her work is to help women around the world have safe pregnancies and give birth to healthy babies.
Dorcas Chong is a first-year Master’s student in the Nutritional Sciences graduate program at Arizona State University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Western Michigan University. Dorcas is currently working under Dr. Rebecca Lee's mentorship to examine breastfeeding's effects on children's motor development. This research is particularly significant due to the existing research gap in this area and its exploration of the potential long-term advantages of breastfeeding for a child's physical growth. Through this research opportunity, she aims to contribute valuable insights to the field of maternal and child health and ultimately advance our understanding of how early nutrition can positively influence the lifelong well-being of both children and mothers.
Daisuke Hayashi is a second-year Ph.D. candidate in the Nutritional Sciences doctoral program at Penn State. He earned his bachelor's degree in Nutrition and his MSc in Health Sciences from the University of Campinas (UNICAMP), in Brazil. Currently, he is working under the mentorship of Dr. Travis Masterson and Dr. Melissa Butt on improving existing tools for assessing internalized weight bias (IWB) in teenage populations. This research aims to provide a better understanding of IWB among this age group, which is particularly vulnerable to negative external influences and social stigma related to weight. Daisuke is passionate about studying the psychosocial determinants of health and eating behaviors. He believes in helping people develop a healthy relationship with food from a young age, and one that can endure throughout their lives.
Carissa Weiberg is a first-year Master’s student in the Nutritional Sciences program at Arizona State University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Food Science from Colorado State University. Carissa is currently working under the mentorship of Dr. Corrie Whisner to characterize the potential impact of postpartum depression on the breast milk microbiome. This study is important due to the lack of research within the Maternal Child Health community and will help fill gaps in literature about how postpartum depression may affect the body. Carissa’s goal is that her study will open the doorway for future microbiome and maternal child nutritional health research as well. She feels strongly about how important nutrition is in future health outcomes of Maternal Child communities and hopes she can help children build healthy eating habits that will contribute to their future success.
Nicholas Neuwald is a PhD Candidate in Nutritional Sciences at Penn State with a focus on Ingestive Behavior. He holds a Master of Science Degree in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology from the University of Miami. For his current TRANSCEND Project, Nick is working on validating a novel computer-based method for assessing interoception in children. This new method has the potential to overcome common limitations with current interoception measurements and can be used in a wide range of settings and contexts. Nick is passionate about MCH because childhood is a critical period for establishing healthy behaviors, which can greatly affect a person’s health trajectory.
Amrita Arcot is a fifth-year Nutritional Sciences PhD student, with a minor in Social Data Analytics, at The Pennsylvania State University. She is also a registered dietitian with specialized training in clinical care. Amrita graduated from Penn State University with a BS in Nutritional Sciences (Dietetics Option) in 2016 and subsequently completed a dietetic internship at Tulane University, in New Orleans, Louisiana. She worked as a clinical dietitian in the Greater Philadelphia area before rejoining the Penn State team for graduate school. Amrita is currently examining morphological and histopathological placental outcomes in patients with and without gestational diabetes, under the advisement of Dr. Alison D. Gernand. Amrita is passionate about MCH nutrition and the ability to transform rigorous research into clinically translatable, and culturally-appropriate tools for nutrition intervention. She hopes to continue studying micronutrient and vitamin needs in vulnerable populations, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
Brianna Jack is a dedicated graduate student at Montclair State University, currently working towards a master's degree in Nutrition and Food Science. Her academic journey began at Rutgers University, where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Psychology. Her current research project as part of the TRANSCEND program focuses on conducting a comprehensive content analysis of breastfeeding information videos on TikTok. This research endeavor aims to assess the quality and accuracy of such content, shedding light on the critical importance of reliable information in maternal and child nutrition. She is deeply passionate about maternal and child nutrition, as she firmly believes that the state of maternal and child health in the United States is a reflection of our society's overall well-being. Through her studies and research, she is committed to contributing to the improvement of maternal and child health outcomes, ultimately striving to enhance the quality of life for families across the nation.
Sydni Hebert is a master’s student in the Nutrition and Food Science program at Montclair State University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Food Science with a concentration in Dietetics from Montclair State University. She is currently working under the mentorship of Dr. Yeon Bai to examine the resources women use for nutrition information during pregnancy. This research aims to investigate the various sources of information women rely on during their pregnancy, their experience in this process, and how the information found influenced their dietary choices and health outcomes during the prenatal period. She is passionate about MCH and the influence of nutrition on maternal and fetal health during pregnancy. She hopes that she can help mothers adopt healthy eating behaviors for their overall health and the health of their unborn child.
Bethany Liedike is a second-year Master’s student in the dual Nutritional Science - Dietetic Internship program at Arizona State University. She earned her undergraduate degree in Nutrition with a concentration in Dietetics from Arizona State University. Currently, Bethany is completing her Master’s thesis under the mentorship of Dr. Corrie Whisner, and her project involves exploring breastfeeding mode and the infant gut microbiome over the first year of life. This research aims to better understand the relationship between exclusively at-breast feeding or pumped and bottle fed breastmilk, and alterations in the infant’s gut microbiome over time. Bethany is also currently completing her dietetic internship with Phoenix Children’s Hospital to fulfill the requirement to become an RDN. Bethany’s current TRANSCEND project focuses on feeding mode, and the infant gut microbiome over the first year of life. She is exploring the infant gut microbiome of exclusively at-breast fed, pumped and bottle-fed, formula fed infants, or any mix of the three modes over six time points (3 weeks, 8 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months) and how feeding mode may alter gut bacteria over the first year of life. Future plans for Bethany include, applying to the Exercise and Nutritional Sciences program at Arizona State University, to become a research dietitian in the Maternal Child Health field and focus on breastmilk microbiome research. Bethany’s overall goal with her current and future research, is to empower new moms to make educated decisions, and feel confident with their choice of feeding mode.