Professor
Department of Clinical Nutrition, College of Health Sciences
Department of Preventive Medicine, Rush Medical College
Role: Faculty
Joined Rush in 1980
I am the Associate Dean for Research and a professor for both the Department of Clinical Nutrition and the Department of Preventive Medicine. My expertise is in assessment of dietary behaviors of individuals and population samples in relation to cardiovascular and cognitive health.
I wanted to understand the power of food and overall health. My first job out of college was in the lab of Dr. Pete Ahrens and Dr. Jules Hirsch at the Rockefeller Institute where the cholesterol metabolism of morbidly obese adults was being studied. It was a wonderful environment, and these researchers encouraged my entry into graduate school and nutrition research.
The opportunity to work with other researchers in Preventive Medicine, Women’s Health and neurologists who specialize in movement disorders to improve health is what I love about my work at Rush.
Mentoring students and fellow faculty is so fulfilling. It gives me so much joy to see students and faculty I have mentored grow and add so much to our understanding of nutrition science and practice.
I recommend getting involved in research as soon as possible.
I enjoy cycling, motor cycling and gardening.