Current MCN Trainees

Beatriz Carmona

Predoctoral Trainee

MCN Research Focus: Developing a Maternal Self-Care Scale

Beatriz Carmona is a second year Ph.D. Student in Community Nutrition working with Dr. Laura Bellows in the Health Behaviors Lab, as well as one of the MCN trainees this year. She finished her undergraduate degree in Nutrition/Dietetics at Auburn University in Alabama in May of 2021 and joined the Division of Nutritional Sciences that fall. She’s lived and worked in a number of different places across the US and Mexico that have all shaped her interests toward public health nutrition, and she is grateful to be able to continue cultivating these interests at Cornell. Outside of the lab, Beatriz enjoys making small crafts and exploring Ithaca’s many surrounding trails.

Faith Carter

Predoctoral Trainee

MCN Research Focus: Impact of Weight Loss on Ovarian Function in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).

Faith is originally from North Carolina where she received her BS in Chemistry at UNC Wilmington. Currently, she is a fourth-year Ph.D. Candidate in Human Nutrition working with Dr. Marla Lujan. In the Lujan lab, Faith is assessing the impact of a weight loss intervention on follicle dynamics in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. She uses her knowledge in reproductive physiology to progress science communication in women’s health. In her free time, Faith enjoys reading, being creative, and spending time with her dog.

Lisa Larson

Predoctoral Trainee

MCN Research Focus: The role of maternal choline supplementation in infant birth and developmental outcomes.

Lisa is a former professional ballerina from Rhode Island who received her bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, in Nutrition and Dietetics from New York University. She subsequently worked on a Breast Cancer clinical trials team at Columbia University, before completing her Masters in Human Nutrition at the University of Copenhagen, in Denmark. Her work in Denmark included a partnership with WorldFish Organization, exploring small fish consumption for women and children, and sparked her initial interest in maternal and child nutrition. Now in the second year of her doctoral degree at Cornell University, her work in Dr. Barbara Strupp’s lab now focuses on maternal choline intake and its impact both on the immune system during pregnancy and on offspring cognition.