Faculty
Meg Bruening, PhD, MPH, RD
I became an academic researcher because I saw the power that evidence provides to the field. Well-designed studies can build the foundation for programs and policies that work to improve people’s health. Public health research can only be successful through meaningful collaborations with other researchers and with the community. The goal of our research team is to develop an efficient and highly productive research group focusing on public health nutrition research for underserved youth and families. This requires a concerted team effort from a diverse group of individuals.
My research focuses on how social and environmental influences impact nutrition-related behaviors and outcomes for underserved youth and their families. Specifically, the areas of public health nutrition that I address are 1) social networks/interpersonal relationships and the influence of eating behaviors, 2) school-based nutrition studies and, 3) hunger (food insecurity)/health disparities research. The vision for the work that we do as a team is that we find ways to make an impact on young people’s health and well-being through nutrition, which can include both observational and intervention studies.
I love working with students on research. My goal as a mentor is to support and empower each team member to articulate and achieve her/his goals within the team’s vision. As a mentor, in order to help set you up for a successful career, I am committed to helping you to develop research skills and learn the nuances of public health nutrition and/or dietetics. I can help you achieve this success along your chosen career path through identifying opportunities in the field and tackling complex scientific questions. As someone who has focused her career on the healthy development of youth, I have the same interest in helping you develop your career.
Students projects have included:
My research focuses on how social and environmental influences impact nutrition-related behaviors and outcomes for underserved youth and their families. Specifically, the areas of public health nutrition that I address are 1) social networks/interpersonal relationships and the influence of eating behaviors, 2) school-based nutrition studies and, 3) hunger (food insecurity)/health disparities research. The vision for the work that we do as a team is that we find ways to make an impact on young people’s health and well-being through nutrition, which can include both observational and intervention studies.
I love working with students on research. My goal as a mentor is to support and empower each team member to articulate and achieve her/his goals within the team’s vision. As a mentor, in order to help set you up for a successful career, I am committed to helping you to develop research skills and learn the nuances of public health nutrition and/or dietetics. I can help you achieve this success along your chosen career path through identifying opportunities in the field and tackling complex scientific questions. As someone who has focused her career on the healthy development of youth, I have the same interest in helping you develop your career.
Students projects have included:
- Villanova, Christina (MS, Nutrition): The role of stress on eating behaviors and weight among low-income parents
- Alfuso, Kevin (Barrett Honors Senior Thesis, Nutrition): Prevalence and predictors of breakfast eating
- Friendman, Rachel (MSD, Nutrition): Perceptions of mindful eating and associations with weight status among parents and children
- Simpson, Julie (MS, Nutrition): Multiple breakfasts: how does breakfast impact dietary consumption over the day
- Kebric, Kelsey (MS, Nutrition): How do barriers to implementing salad bars vary across school level?
- Nelson, Stephanie (MS, Nutrition): The Association between In-State and Out-of-State Residency Status, Social Connectedness and Nutrition and Physical Activity Behaviors among Diverse College Freshmen
- Lick, Linda (MS, Nutrition): Using MyPlate to improve healthfulness of foods in food banks
Traci Grgich
Traci Grgich, MS, RD, SNS is a Lecturer and DPD Director in the Nutrition Program at Arizona State University. Traci received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Arizona State in dietetics. Prior to coming to ASU, Traci worked for Mesa Public Schools in the Food & Nutrition Department as an Area Supervisor and was responsible for the districts menus (K-12) and production. She also worked at the Arizona Department of Education for 8 years where she coordinated many programs including summer food service, school meals initiative and team nutrition grants. Currently she teaches food service purchasing and food service systems management.
Haiwei Gu, PhD
Dr. Haiwei Gu is an Assistant Professor in the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University. The Gu research group focuses on mass spectrometry (MS)-based metabolomics and its applications for biomarker discovery and systems biology research. We are skilled in the development, optimization, and applications of MS methods for both qualitative and quantitative measurements. We utilize a range of platforms, including LC- and GC-MS for global aqueous profiling and lipidomics. We have developed a number of targeted LC-MS/MS assays to detect panels of metabolites, including a 200+ aqueous metabolite assay that interrogates 35 metabolic pathways, as well as assays to measure bile acids, acyl carnitines, co-enzymes, and cardiolipins. Recent methods developed by our group include quantitative methods to measure metabolite concentrations, metabolic flux analysis approaches, and ratio analysis methods for unknown identification. In addition, we have extensive experience with advanced multivariate statistical analysis methods, including PCA, PLS-DA, SVM, etc. We can proficiently program in Matlab, R, and Pathyn to analyze MS and NMR data, both individually and in combination.
In addition to our methods development activities, we are working closely with a number of biological researchers and clinical practitioners in various studies. We have been active in the identification of biomarkers for early cancer detection, recurrence monitoring, and therapy prediction. We are also involved in studies of heart diseases, obesity, and diabetes, as well as nutrition-based disease prevention and aging. Our group has a strong interest in expanding the understanding of disease risk factors using metabolite profiling approaches. My group has experience running large metabolomics sample sets that incorporate a number of quality control measures to ensure reliability of large datasets. Our work in metabolomics is thus applied to a broad range of applications in both basic and clinical metabolic research.
In addition to our methods development activities, we are working closely with a number of biological researchers and clinical practitioners in various studies. We have been active in the identification of biomarkers for early cancer detection, recurrence monitoring, and therapy prediction. We are also involved in studies of heart diseases, obesity, and diabetes, as well as nutrition-based disease prevention and aging. Our group has a strong interest in expanding the understanding of disease risk factors using metabolite profiling approaches. My group has experience running large metabolomics sample sets that incorporate a number of quality control measures to ensure reliability of large datasets. Our work in metabolomics is thus applied to a broad range of applications in both basic and clinical metabolic research.
Teresa L. Hart, PhD
Teresa L. Hart, PhD is a Lecturer in the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University. Teresa received her undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa, and her Masters and PhD from Arizona State University. Prior to joining the faculty at ASU, she completed a post-doctoral research fellowship at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the Physical Activity and Health Research Laboratory. Teresa currently teaches in the nutrition program at ASU. Her research interests include promotion of health through physical activity and nutrition. Populations of interest include older adults, people with developmental disabilities, and school-aged children.
Christy Lespron
Dr. Christy Lespron, PhD, RD is a Clinical Associate Professor in the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University, where she earned her PhD in Physical Activity, Nutrition and Wellness in 2010. She has taught coursework in a variety of areas to both undergraduate and graduate students, including food science, advanced macronutrient metabolism and research methods. Christy is a past-president of the Arizona Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and currently holds a leadership position in the College of Health Solutions as Assistant Dean for Student Services.
Sandra N. Mayol-Kreiser
Sandra N. Mayol-Kreiser, PHD, RD, CNSC is a Clinical Associate Professor in the College of Health Solutions at Arizona Sate University. Sandra received her undergraduate degree from Baylor University and both of her graduate degrees from Texas Women's University. Sandra did her dietetic internship at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas TX. Sandra has been teaching at ASU since August 2006. Prior to coming to ASU, Sandra worked as a Quality Coordinator at San Pablo Medical Center in Puerto Rico, as Cardiac Transplant Dietitian at Saint Francis Medical Center in Oklahoma, and PRN dietitian at Chandler Regional Medical Center in Arizona. Currently, she teaches Medical Nutrition Therapy courses and is the Assistant Dietetic Internship Director at ASU. Sandra research interest include but is not limited to preventive care, chronic disease management, and maternal health.
Maureen McCoy
Maureen McCoy, MS, RD is a Lecturer in the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University. Maureen received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Arizona State in dietetics. Prior to coming to ASU, Maureen worked for the University of Florida as a Sports Dietitian, the Arizona Department of Education working with the National School Lunch Program, Lifetime Fitness as a Nutrition Coach, Washington Elementary School District working with the district menu and providing nutrition education to grades Pre K- 8th grade, and at Maricopa County Head Start working with pregnant moms and children 0-5 years and overseeing the Child and Adult Care Food Program. Currently she teaches community nutrition, intro to evidence-based practice and the applied project course for masters students.
Lisa M. Morse
Lisa M Morse, MS, RD, CNSC is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University. Lisa received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Arizona State University. Lisa has been teaching at ASU since August 2010. Prior to coming to ASU, Lisa worked as a Critical Care and Nutrition Support Dietitian at the Arizona Burn Center and Trauma ICU at Maricopa Medical Center. While at Maricopa Medical Center Lisa was the site coordinator for dietetic interns and was responsible for teaching surgical residents current nutrition support practices. Currently he teaches Medical Nutrition Therapy courses focusing on therapeutic diets and human nutrition assessment. Lisa also teaches a graduate nutrition support seminar.
Punam Ohri-Vachaspati
Dr. Ohri-Vachaspati, PhD, RD, is a Professor in the College of Health Solutions at ASU. Under the umbrella of public health nutrition, her research aims to understand the social determinants of health with a focus on reducing health disparities. She examines food and physical activity environments in community settings and schools, and assesses the role federal, state, and local policies play in shaping these environments as they relate to healthy eating and opportunities for physical activity. She also studies policies and practices related to food marketing to understand how these efforts drive behaviors. Her research is funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She works with researchers at ASU, Rutgers University, University of Illinois, and Case Western Reserve University among others.
Dr. Ohri-Vachaspati received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from University of Delhi, India with a focus on food and nutrition, a master’s and a doctorate degree from Tufts University School of Nutrition in Food Policy and Applied Nutrition, and completed her dietetic internship in Public Health Nutrition from Case Western Reserve University. Prior to coming to ASU she worked at the Ohio State University, Rutgers University, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. In 2016-17, Dr. Ohri-Vachaspati completed the RWJF Health Policy Fellowship in Washington DC, working on healthcare and nutrition issues in Senator Gillibrand’s (D-NY) office.
The ASU Food Environment and Policy research group, led by Dr. Ohri-Vachaspati, has a very active research agenda with doctoral, masters, and undergraduate students working together in a nurturing and supportive environment. Students can join ongoing research projects or work on new or related topics in public health nutrition, food policy, food marketing, and social determinants of health. Almost all previous and current students have published their work in peer reviewed journals and / or present at national and local conferences.
Dr. Ohri-Vachaspati received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from University of Delhi, India with a focus on food and nutrition, a master’s and a doctorate degree from Tufts University School of Nutrition in Food Policy and Applied Nutrition, and completed her dietetic internship in Public Health Nutrition from Case Western Reserve University. Prior to coming to ASU she worked at the Ohio State University, Rutgers University, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. In 2016-17, Dr. Ohri-Vachaspati completed the RWJF Health Policy Fellowship in Washington DC, working on healthcare and nutrition issues in Senator Gillibrand’s (D-NY) office.
The ASU Food Environment and Policy research group, led by Dr. Ohri-Vachaspati, has a very active research agenda with doctoral, masters, and undergraduate students working together in a nurturing and supportive environment. Students can join ongoing research projects or work on new or related topics in public health nutrition, food policy, food marketing, and social determinants of health. Almost all previous and current students have published their work in peer reviewed journals and / or present at national and local conferences.
Karen Sweazea
Dr. Karen Sweazea, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the College of Health Solutions with a joint appointment in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University. Her broad research focus is on how poor nutrition and aging lead to oxidative stress and inflammation within blood vessels. Recent awards include the ASU Faculty Women's Association Outstanding Faculty Mentor, Dale J. Benos Early Career Professional Service Award from The American Physiological Society, and the August Krogh Young Investigator Award from The Microcirculatory Society. Prior to ASU, Dr. Sweazea completed her postdoctoral fellowship in the area of Vascular Physiology at the University of New Mexico, Department of Cell Biology and Physiology in Albuquerque and received her PhD in Physiological Sciences from the University of Arizona, College of Medicine in Tucson.
Natasha Tasevska
Natasha Tasevska, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University since 2013. She holds an MD from the University "Ss. Cyril and Methodius", Macedonia, an MSc in Human Nutrition and Metabolism from the University of Aberdeen, UK, and a PhD in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Cambridge, UK. Before joining the ASU, Dr. Tasevska completed a three year Postdoctoral Fellowship in Nutritional Epidemiology at the U.S. National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Tasevska is studying the role of sugars consumption in etiology of chronic disease in big population studies, and exploring mechanistic pathways for the effect of sugars in dietary intervention studies. She is also interested in dietary methodology issues and is studying different approaches for obtaining more accurate estimates of dietary intake. Major focus of her methodological research is investigation and application of the urinary biomarker of sugars intake, as well as development of novel biomarkers in controlled feeding studies. Dr. Tasevska is a member of the American Society of Nutrition, American Association for Cancer Research and Society for Epidemiologic Research.
Sonia Vega-López
Sonia Vega-López, PhD, FAHA is an Assistant Professor in the College of Health Solutions and faculty affiliate with the Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center (SIRC) at Arizona State University. She has been at ASU directing the Laboratory for Community Nutrition and Cardiometabolic Health since 2008. She has a BS in Food Chemistry from Universidad La Salle (Mexico City, Mexico), and MS and PhD degrees in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Connecticut (Storrs, CT). She completed her postdoctoral training at the Laboratory for Atherosclerosis and Metabolic Research at UC Davis Medical Center (Sacramento, CA) and at the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at the Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University (Boston, MA). Dr. Vega-López is interested in how lifestyle factors (i.e., diet, physical activity) contribute to cardiovascular disease and diabetes risk in minority populations, and in developing culturally-acceptable interventions for chronic disease prevention among Latinos. Dr. Vega-López became a Fellow of the American Heart Association in 2012, and is a member of the American Society for Nutrition.
Floris Wardenaar
Dr. Floris Wardenaar is an Assistant Professor in the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University. He was born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Despite the fact that there was no previous history of competitive sports within the family, all the brothers were competitive in different areas of sport. At the age of 14, he started cycling, both on the road and the track. From that moment on his interest in performance nutrition grew. During his second year as a junior cyclist he was selected for the newly formed National track cycling team. As part of his cycling career he collected over 30 stage places and victories.
Professor Wardenaar studied nutrition and dietetics at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam (HvA, Amsterdam Applied University) with specific interest in sports nutrition. During this bachelor program he followed an internship at NOC*NSF writing the brochure: What to know about nutrition and Sydney in preparation for the Olympic Games at Sydney 2000. Together with his bachelor degree he received his post bachelor degree of sports dietetics which was granted by NOC*NSF.
Following this, Professor Wardenaar started a master's program at Wageningen University in human nutrition and physiology. During the second year at Wageningen, he founded his own consultancy firm in sports nutrition advice and during the third year he was full-time Vice-president of the Dutch Chamber of Student Associations (LKvV). Subsequently he followed an internship at the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Texas in Austin and wrote his master’s thesis on the interaction between alcohol consumption, exercise and blood glucose levels at SENECA, expert centre of HAN Sports and Exercise Studies at the HAN University of Applied Sciences at Nijmegen. He graduated in 2005 both in nutritional physiology and in nutrigenomics.
At the start of 2006 Professor Wardenaar took up the post of lecturer at the Institute of Paramedic Studies at the HAN. From that moment he was also asked to cover the sports nutrition position of the professional TVM speed skating team as part of an agreement between this team and HAN Sports and Exercise studies. In 2007 he was added to the nutrition team of the Dutch Olympic Committee (NOC*NSF) and from 2010 he became a member of the research group of the professorate (in Dutch: lectoraat) Sports, Nutrition and Health. At the beginning of 2011 he moved completely from paramedic studies to Sports and Exercise studies. 2012 saw him take on a team leader role as senior lecturer of the expert team Sports and Exercise Nutrition with responsibility for education, research and consultancy within the Institute of Sport and Exercise. During this period Professor Wardenaar was also president of the Dutch Association of Sports Dieticians.
In September 2012 he commenced his Ph.D. project in cooperation with Wageningen University, which was partly financed by a regional grant Eat2Move. At the beginning of 2013 he became program manager of work package 3 within Eat2Move and from 2014 - 2017 he was team leader of the Team Nutrition of the Dutch Olympic Committee.
Professor Wardenaar studied nutrition and dietetics at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam (HvA, Amsterdam Applied University) with specific interest in sports nutrition. During this bachelor program he followed an internship at NOC*NSF writing the brochure: What to know about nutrition and Sydney in preparation for the Olympic Games at Sydney 2000. Together with his bachelor degree he received his post bachelor degree of sports dietetics which was granted by NOC*NSF.
Following this, Professor Wardenaar started a master's program at Wageningen University in human nutrition and physiology. During the second year at Wageningen, he founded his own consultancy firm in sports nutrition advice and during the third year he was full-time Vice-president of the Dutch Chamber of Student Associations (LKvV). Subsequently he followed an internship at the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Texas in Austin and wrote his master’s thesis on the interaction between alcohol consumption, exercise and blood glucose levels at SENECA, expert centre of HAN Sports and Exercise Studies at the HAN University of Applied Sciences at Nijmegen. He graduated in 2005 both in nutritional physiology and in nutrigenomics.
At the start of 2006 Professor Wardenaar took up the post of lecturer at the Institute of Paramedic Studies at the HAN. From that moment he was also asked to cover the sports nutrition position of the professional TVM speed skating team as part of an agreement between this team and HAN Sports and Exercise studies. In 2007 he was added to the nutrition team of the Dutch Olympic Committee (NOC*NSF) and from 2010 he became a member of the research group of the professorate (in Dutch: lectoraat) Sports, Nutrition and Health. At the beginning of 2011 he moved completely from paramedic studies to Sports and Exercise studies. 2012 saw him take on a team leader role as senior lecturer of the expert team Sports and Exercise Nutrition with responsibility for education, research and consultancy within the Institute of Sport and Exercise. During this period Professor Wardenaar was also president of the Dutch Association of Sports Dieticians.
In September 2012 he commenced his Ph.D. project in cooperation with Wageningen University, which was partly financed by a regional grant Eat2Move. At the beginning of 2013 he became program manager of work package 3 within Eat2Move and from 2014 - 2017 he was team leader of the Team Nutrition of the Dutch Olympic Committee.
Corrie Whisner
Dr. Corrie Whisner, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University. Broadly, she is interested in the applied use of functional food components in the prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases including osteoporosis and obesity with an emphasis on manipulation of the intestinal microbiome. Previous work of Dr. Whisner's has focused on how prebiotics and probiotics influence skeletal health in pediatric populations and how Facebook and text messaging programs can improve the health behaviors of high-risk pregnant adolescents. Recent honors include serving as an American Society for Nutrition (ASN) blogger and an invited member of the ASN Public Information Committee. Dr. Whisner received both her BS and PhD from Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. Prior to joining the faculty at ASU, she was a USDA NIFA AFRI postdoctoral fellow in the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.