Dave Lab Members

I am an Associate Professor of Pediatrics-Nutrition with a deep commitment to addressing nutrition-related health disparities and exploring social drivers of health, particularly in the context of chronic disease prevention for children and families. Originally from India, one of the most ethnically diverse nations in the world, I began my academic journey in Mumbai, earning a B.S. in Applied Nutrition before moving to the United States to further my education. I completed my M.S. and Ph.D. in Public Health at the University of South Carolina, specializing in Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior. 

In 2009, I joined Baylor College of Medicine as a postdoctoral fellow and have since then been a resident of Houston, Texas – one of the most diverse cities in the United States.  I lead a federally funded research program dedicated to designing, implementing, and evaluating interventions that promote better nutrition and long-term health. With extensive experience in stakeholder engagement, I collaborate closely with children, parents, families, healthcare, and community-based organizations to create sustainable, evidence-based solutions that drive meaningful change. My research focuses on the environmental, behavioral, and social factors that influence obesity and diet-related chronic diseases, with a strong emphasis on population health. 

I am deeply invested in exploring the intersection of food and nutrition security with health outcomes. By addressing barriers to access to healthy, affordable foods and promoting nutrition security, my work aims to improve the health and well-being of vulnerable populations. More recently, a key focus of my work has been in Food Is Medicine (FIM), a transformative approach that integrates nutritional interventions within healthcare to prevent, manage, and treat chronic diseases. My FIM research evaluates nutrition-based healthcare strategies to address food insecurity, improve dietary behaviors, and enhance clinical outcomes.

By leveraging multidisciplinary collaborations, evidence-based strategies, and community engagement, I aim to drive sustainable changes in nutrition and health outcomes.

Outside of work, I love cooking, indulging in singing and dancing, and spending quality time with family and friends, which truly makes me happy and keeps me going. 

I earned my B.S. in Nutrition and Foodservice Management from the University of Texas at Austin and began my career as a licensed dietitian at St. David’s Hospital. During my time in clinical nutrition, I discovered my passion for food service management, leading me to pursue an M.S. in Health Care Administration from Texas State University, with a minor in Human Resource Management.

After getting married, I moved to New York, where I worked as a corporate nutritionist in Applied Nutrition Research at Kraft Foods, gaining valuable industry experience in nutrition innovation and food systems management. In 2002, I relocated to Houston, Texas, and joined the Children’s Nutrition Research Center (CNRC) as a research dietitian. Over the years, I have played a pivotal role in coordinating and managing multiple nutrition and public health research projects, working alongside Dr. Tom Baranowski and Dr. Karen Cullen to advance research in dietary behaviors, childhood nutrition, and health promotion.

Currently, I work with Dr. Jayna Dave on several exciting and innovative projects at Dave Lab focusing on food and nutrition security, and developing and evaluating interventions to promote healthier lifestyles for obesity and chronic disease prevention through community-engaged research, including Food is Medicine initiatives.

Outside of work, in my free time, I like to cook and enjoy serving at my church in various activities.

I was raised in Veracruz, Mexico, and immigrated to Houston as a teenager. The international move highlighted the differences in living standards and access to necessities such as healthcare and nutritious foods. It fueled my interest in understanding how various groups experience these challenges. I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Houston in Human Nutrition and Foods. As part of Dr. Dave's lab, I work with our research team to ensure smooth projects execution and serve as the primary liaison for our Spanish-speaking research participants.

When giving back to my community, I like volunteering with clinical outreach programs for essential health services to populations in need, particularly through H.O.P.E. Clinic in Houston. In my free time, I enjoy Pilates, the performing arts, and making valiant but unsuccessful attempts at walking my two cats.

I'm originally from a small, rural town in Arkansas called Mountain Home which was where I first found an interest in addressing health disparities. Mountain Home was a medically underserved community with poor access to subspecialized healthcare and supplemental benefit programs, and I wanted to find ways to improve access for both my own community and others like it. I attended college at Hendrix College in Conway, Ark., before completing medical school in Little Rock and pediatrics residency at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. I am currently a clinical fellow within the Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at Texas Children's Hospital in addition to my role as post-doctoral research fellow here at the CNRC. My primary clinical interests include nutrition and obesity management as well as advanced endoscopy. I believe my work within the CNRC will better help me understand the barriers standing in the way of patients and their families when trying to improve their overall health and wellness.

I am a Ph.D. candidate in Epidemiology at the UTHealth School of Public Health in Houston, with a strong interest in cardiometabolic and reproductive health. My research focuses on examining the role of social and structural determinants in shaping health outcomes, particularly among pediatric, adolescent, and young adult populations.

I earned my Bachelor of Science in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior with a minor in Global Disease Biology from the University of California, Davis, and my Master of Public Health from San Diego State University. Over the years, I have received several academic and research honors, including the UC Davis Civil Service Award (2020) and the John J. Hanlon Award of Excellence in Public Health (2022). I was also awarded a $20,000 grant from the Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (2021–2022) as a graduate student, to support my research in healthy aging and nutritional needs of breast cancer survivors.

Over the course of my doctoral training, I have collaborated with research groups across Texas, examining weight stigma and bias, metabolic and bariatric surgery, GLP-1 receptor agonist medication use, and exposure to environmental toxins (i.e., phthalates ad organophosphates) in relation to quality-of-life and cardiometabolic health outcomes. As a member of Dr. Dave’s team, I have led multiple projects utilizing nationally representative datasets to examine how social determinants of health –including food insecurity, neighborhood characteristics, and healthcare access– impact obesity, hypertension, and sleep-related outcomes in pediatric and adolescent population across the U.S. By integrating epidemiologic methods with large-scale data analysis, our research seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of the complex interactions between social determinants and cardiometabolic health.

Elizabeth Onugha is board certified in pediatric nephrology. She is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. She completed her pediatric residency at Texas A&M/ Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Corpus Christi and a pediatric nephrology fellowship at Washington University in St Louis/ St Louis Children’s Hospital. During her nephrology fellowship, she completed a Masters in Clinical Investigation at Washington University in St Louis.  She participated in the Baylor College of Medicine Junior Faculty Scholar Program organized by the Baylor College of Medicine Center of Excellence in Health equity and the recently completed the Harvard Health Equity Scholar program. 

Dr Onugha is engaged in multidisciplinary research studies focused on understanding the influence of social drivers of childhood kidney disease, including chronic kidney disease (CKD), nephrotic syndrome, kidney stone disease and hypertension, with a particular interest in food insecurity and socioeconomic neighborhood disadvantage. Her research includes secondary data analyses, qualitative research and retrospective analysis of electronic health record databases.

Dr Onugha is the recipient of a National Kidney Foundation (NKF) Health Equity grant to evaluate the impact of a food prescription program on health outcomes in children with chronic kidney disease. She initiated and directs the food insecurity screening at the Texas children’s Hospital nephrology division and is focused on improving food access to children with kidney disease. She also serves as the site PI for the NIDDK Cure Glomerulonephropathy (CUREGN), a multi-center, international study of children and adults with glomerular disease. She serves as a co-chair of the psychosocial working group of the Pediatric Nephrology Research Consortium, an organization designed to facilitate collaborative multi-center retrospective and prospective research in the field of pediatric nephrology and train the next generation of pediatric nephrology investigators by encouraging the development and research efforts of both fellow and junior faculty.

Dr Onugha is committed to mentoring trainees and junior investigators engaged in clinical research. Mentees have included medical students, pediatric residents, nephrology fellows and post-doctoral students.

I come from a suburb of Las Vegas, Nevada, where it’s very nice and dry (unlike Houston). I am currently studying Health Science and Sports Medicine while on the pre-dental track at Rice University. I joined Dr. Dave’s lab in the summer of 2022 studying hydroponic farming and food security. So far, I have really loved working with the team, and I look forward to learning more from everyone in the future. In my free time, I like to crochet, embroider, and cook yummy food!

I am a Rice University senior majoring in neuroscience & health sciences, with a minor in medical humanities on the pre-medical track. I view food as the foundation for health and, as a native Houstonian, I am always looking for new ways to improve nutrition disparities across my hometown. In the Dave Lab, I am researching the effectiveness of hydroponic farms on food-insecure, chronically ill families in Houston and the influence of the environment on childhood diet and health-related practices. With my work, I love thinking about how I can combine public health efforts with medicine to broaden my scope as a future physician.

Outside the lab, I love exploring new cuisines & music with friends, playing baseball & basketball, and flipping through new books.

I am an undergraduate student at Rice University studying health sciences and Spanish, with professional aspirations of pursuing medical school. Born and raised in Austin, Texas, I have grown up learning about the health disparities that exist across the state, and my passions for food and medicine have cultivated a particular interest in nutrition. This is what prompted me to join the Dave Lab in the summer of 2024, where I have been researching the health effects of school meal programs on children across the world to better understand the factors influencing pediatric nutritional status. I am also working on a project to integrate the food prescription program into TCH’s nephrology clinic for children with chronic kidney disease. I hope to take my experiences in the Dave Lab into my future career and allow them to make me a physician that is well-versed in the intersection of public health and medicine. 

Outside of the lab, I enjoy singing with my university a cappella group, going on runs, and trying new cuisines around Houston. 

I was born in Nepal and grew up with a deep curiosity about improving health outcomes in underserved communities. My journey into public health began during my undergraduate studies in Nepal, where I cultivated a passion for understanding the social determinants of health and their impact on individual and population-level wellness. This passion motivated me to pursue advanced degrees in behavioral sciences and public health in the United States.

Currently, I am a doctoral candidate in Epidemiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Public Health. My research focuses on exploring the intricate interplay between lifestyle behaviors such as physical activity, sleep health, and obesity and broader societal contexts like food insecurity and socioeconomic disparities. In Dr. Dave’s lab, I have been involved in projects examining food insecurity, neighborhood characteristics, healthcare access, and overall social determinants of health, including hypertension and physical activity. My work aims to uncover actionable insights to inform health policies and interventions.

Outside of research, I enjoy playing pickleball and cricket, hiking scenic trails, and embarking on road trips with friends.