Cornell Maternal and Child Nutrition Program

Dr. Julia L. Finkelstein, MPH SM ScD
The Follett Sesquicentennial Faculty Fellow  
Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition
Division of Nutritional Sciences
College of Human Ecology
Cornell University   
Adjunct Associate Professor, St. John’s Research Institute, Bangalore, India

Graduate Students
Amy Fothergill, Doctoral Student in Nutrition
Heather Guetterman, Masters Student in Nutrition

Research Staff
Myla Strawderman, Biostatistician
Alexander Layden, Research Coordinator
Julia Tedesco, Research Assistant

Undergraduate Students
Daniel Kelly, Rawlings Cornell Presidential Scholar, Global and Public Health Sciences, College of Human Ecology
Cambra Lee-Shapiro, Human Biology, Health, and Society, College of Human Ecology
Meera Kattapuram, Biology, College of Arts and Sciences
Alexa Bernardini, Biological Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Emily Mozdzer, Biology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Sabrina Pan, Biology and Society, College of Arts and Sciences
Haritha Aribindi, Biological Sciences and Nutrition, College of Arts and Sciences
Julia Tedesco, Honors Student, Human Biology, Health, and Society, College of Human Ecology
 

Recent Lab Alumni

Alexander J. Layden
- Class: High Honors (Magna Cum Laude) with Distinction in Research, Biological Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (2015)
- Research Areas: Infectious diseases, micronutrition, global health, perinatal health
- Publications: 
Layden AJ et al. Vitamin B 12 and Placental Expression of Transcobalamin in Pregnant Adolescents. Placenta. 2016 (in-press)
Täse K, Layden AJ, Finkelstein JF. Vitamin B 12 and Neglected Tropical Diseases: A Review of Current Literature Evidence. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. (in-review)
Layden, AJ and Finkelstein, JF. B-Vitamins and HIV/AIDS. In: Mehta S, Finkelstein JF, editors. Nutrition and HIV. (in-preparation)
Finkelstein JF, Layden AJ, Stover PJ. Vitamin B 12 and Perinatal Health. Advances in Nutrition. 2015; (6):1-12.
Presentations:
Layden, AJ et al. Vitamin B 12 and Placental Expression of Transcobalamin in Pregnant Adolescents. Oral presentation delivered at Experimental Biology conference, San Diego, CA, April 2016.
Finkelstein JF, Layden AJ, et al. Micronutrients and Dengue Fever in Coastal Ecuador. Poster presentation delivered at Experimental Biology conference, San Diego, CA, April 2016.
Layden AJ et al. Burden of Pediatric Infectious Diseases in Coastal Ecuador. Poster presentation delivered at American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Philadelphia, PA, October 2015
Layden AJ et al. Placental Expression of Transcobalamin and Vitamin B 12 in Pregnant Adolescents. Poster presentation delivered at Cornell University Honors in Physiology Presentations, Ithaca, NY, May 2015.
- Current Plans: MD-PhD candidate (MS1) in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh.

Erika Wood
Economics, College of Arts and Sciences (2016)

Kristos Tase
Biology and Society, College of Arts and Sciences (2016)

Nabila (Reem) Khondakar
Class: Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences (2016)
Research Areas: Literature reviews on Anemia, Iron & HIV
Publications/Abstracts/Posters:
[not yet published] Anemia in Pregnancy Review; Book Chapter on HIV/AIDS & Iron
Current Plans: Harvard Medical School MEDscience Education Fellow for 2016-2017 & Research Assistant at Tufts Medical School (Teaching in a medical simulation lab at Harvard Medical School, science curriculum development at Tufts Medical School)

Hyun Jung Chung
- Class: Biology, Biological Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (2013)
- Research Areas: Health issues related to North Korean refugees in China
- Publications: 
Chung HJ, Han SH, Kim H, Finkelstein JL. Childhood immunization in China : disparities in health care acess in children born to North Korean refugees. BMC Int health Hum Rights. 
- Current Plans: Yonsei University College of Medicine

Ilianna Armata
- Class: Nutritional Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (2014)
- Research Areas: Vitamin B12 and cognitive development in children
- Publications:
Sudha Venkatramanan, Ilianna E. Armata, Barbara J. Strupp, and Julia L. Finkelstein. Vitamin B-12 and Cognition in Children. Advances in Nutrition. In Press.
- Current Plans: Medical Student at St George's, University of London, medical programme delivered in Cyprus (2014, Research Areas: Pregnancy in rheumatic patients).

Winnie Chu 
- Class: Natural Resources, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (2014)
- Research Areas: Geographic Information Systems (GIS), spatial analysis, infectious disease, anemia
- Publications/Abstracts/Poster Presentations:
Chu, W., Freire, W.B., Mehta, S., Haas, J.D., Finkelstein, J.L. 2015. Anemia and Micronutrient Deficiencies in Ecuador: Results from the Ecuadorian National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT-ECU). American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 64th Annual Meeting, October 25-29, 2015, Philadelphia, PA
Chu, W., Ryan, S.J., Freire, W.B., Stewart-Ibarra, A.M., Cardenas, W.B, Finkelstein, J.L. 2015. Burden and Distribution of Malnutrition in Guayaquil, Ecuador: Results from the Ecuadorian National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT-ECU). American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 64th Annual Meeting, October 25-29, 2015, Philadelphia, PA
Chu, W., Freire, W.B., Mehta, S., Haas, J.D., Finkelstein, J.L. 2015. Child Malnutrition in Ecuador: Results from the Ecuadorian National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT-ECU). American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 64th Annual Meeting, October 25-29, 2015, Philadelphia, PA
Ryan, S.J., Stewart Ibarra, A.M., Ordonez, E., Chu, W., Finkelstein, J.L., King, C.A., Escobar, L.E., Lupone, C., Heras, F., Waggoner, E., Tauzer, E., Enriquez, K., James, T., Cardenas, W., Polhemus, M. 2016. “Spatial and seasonal dynamics of Vibrio spp. in an estuary in southern coastal Ecuador” Special Session 2562: Spatial and eco-epidemiological modeling (Sponsored by International Geography, GIScience, and Urban Health Theme, Health and Medical Geography Specialty Group). Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geographers, March 29-April 2nd, 2016, San Francisco, CA.
- Current Plans: Medical student at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine

Abigail (Abby) Fessler
Class: Biology and Society, College of Arts and Sciences (2014)
Research Areas: Epidemiology of Dengue Fever in coastal Ecuador, Neglected Tropical Diseases
Publications: 
Handel A, Beltrán Ayala E, Borbor-Cordova M, Fessler A, Finkelstein J, Robalino Espinoza RX, Ryan S and Stewart-Ibarra A. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding dengue infection among public sector healthcare providers in Machala, Ecuador.  Tropical Diseases, Travel Medicine and Vaccines. 
Current Plans: Medical student at The University of Pennsylvania

Michael J. Ceruzzi
Development Sociology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (2013)

Sheryl-Ann Simpson
PhD, City and Regional Planning (2014)
Maren Hill
MA, City and Regional Planning (2013)

Current Team

Amy Fothergill
- Class: Division of Nutritional Sciences, College of Human Ecology
- Research Areas: Nutritional epidemiology, maternal and child nutrition, and periconceptional surveillance
- Current Plans:  Doctoral student

Heather Guetterman
- Class: Division of Nutritional Sciences, College of Human Ecology
- Research Areas: Maternal and child nutrition, CDC Periconceptional Surveillance, WHO Vitamin and Mineral Nutrition Information System
- Publications: Guetterman H, Bushell CB, Russell NT, Auvil LS, Welge ME, and Holscher HD. Utilizing machine learning approaches to understand the interrelationship of diet, the human gastrointestinal microbiome, and health. FASEB J. 2016; 30:406.3
Guetterman H, Swanson KS, Novoty JA, Baer DJ, and Holscher HD. Walnut consumption influences the human gut microbiome. Oral presentation at Experimental Biology 2016.and the interrelationship of diet, the human gastrointestinal microbiome, and health. FASEB J. 2016; 30:406.2
Guetterman H, Bushell CB, Russell NT, Auvil LS, Welge ME, and Holscher HD. Dietary predictors of the human gastrointestinal microbiome. Poster Presentation at Mayo Clinic Individualized Medicine Conference, September 2015, Rochester, MN.
H Wang, K Hess, H Guetterman, H Chen, YX Pan. Amino acid deprivation increases lipid accumulation in HepG2 hepatoma cells through repression of histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3). FASEB J. 2015; 29:715.40 

Julia Tedesco
- Class: Human Biology, Health, and Society (2017)
- Research Areas: Anthropometry and infectious disease, maternal and child health, Ecuador clinical chart review, Vitamin and Mineral Nutrition Information System (VMNIS)
- Publications:  Tedesco JT, Finkelstein JL, Mehta S, et al. Anthropometry and Dengue Fever in Coastal Ecuador. Poster presentation delivered at Experimental       Biology conference, San Diego, CA, April 2016.

Sabrina Pan
- Class: Biology and Society, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (2017)
- Research Areas: Helicobacter pylori and Vitamin B12

Haritha Aribindi
- Class: Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences (2017)
- Research Areas: Micronutrient supplementation in HIV-exposed and HIV-infected pediatric populations, Anemia Periconceptional Surveillance Project, Census Project in South India
- Publications: 
Chapter in Nutrition and HIV book: Micronutrient Supplementation and HIV in Pediatric Populations

Cambra Lee-Shapiro
- Class: Human Biology, Health, and Society, College of Human Ecology (2018)
- Research Areas:  Infectious diseases and nutrition, Maternal and child health, Literature review on schistosomiasis during pregnancy and perinatal outcomes

Meera Kattapuram
- Class: Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences (2018)
- Research Areas: Nutrition, Maternal and child health, Literature review on Vitamin B12, Pregnancy, and Diabetes Related Outcomes

Alexa Bernardini
- Class: Biological Sciences, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (2018)
- Research Areas: Infectious diseases, Nutrition and pregnancy outcomes, Systematic literature reviews

Emily Mozdzer
- Class: Biological Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (2018)
- Research Areas: Role of micronutrients in maternal and child health, Systematic literature reviews

Daniel Kelly
- Class: Global and Public Health Sciences, College of Human Ecology (2019)
- Research Areas: Infectious disease and nutrition, Systematic literature review of micronutrients and Chagas disease