Professor/Researcher
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Her earliest contribution to research started with the investigation of how food/food components affect blood lipids and body composition in healthy individuals. Topics of study that include those research components are eggs, fruits (mangoes/grapes) and vegetables, choline, folate, fish oil, probiotics, and pistachios and chia. Lately, she has become interested in how food, and food components such as n-3 fatty acid, minerals, and vitamins are related to weight loss, body composition, mood, muscle and fat gain/loss, mood, and good health. By systematically showing how healthy foods and essential nutrients in food and supplements effect body composition and affect mood, she has contributed to science by being able to make recommendations for healthy individuals, and show that addition of healthy foods/supplements to the diet does not change body composition, even if the food is high in fat (nuts or avocados). She is also interested in student success, mentoring, and promotion of diversity. She has overseen over 50 Master Theses and has been a member of over 100 thesis committees, many interdisciplinary. She has worked with 19 undergraduates on projects and research for funded projects from STARS (Nasa funded), SEES, McNair Scholarship, Cal Poly Pomona Honor College, amongst others. She has served on the Cal Poly Pomona IRB as a member since 2007, Chair, or vice chair for 8, have written amendments to the Policies and Procedures handbook, reviewed thousands of protocols, and served on IRB subcommittees and on more than 100 full board reviews.
The university’s motto is “learn by doing” and collaboration across many disciplines is key to research success. In addition to the above contributions, she has guided/mentored many students through their research, from many different disciplines, by teaching them how to conduct the study, recruit, go through the IRB process, teach them to write grants/seek external funding for their research, as well as present their research. She has developed ways to improve retention and foster an interest in science for minorities and other under-represented students. She has completed over 16 clinical trials. Presentation of the research is key for disseminating research knowledge. We have presented over 40 study results over the last 10 years to Experimental Biology, American Society of Nutrition, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo, California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Institute of Food Technologists, etc.