Dave Lab Members

I am a behavioral nutritionist, originally from India – the most ethnically diverse nation in the world. I got my B.S. in Applied Nutrition from Mumbai, India. I then came to the United States, pursued my graduate studies at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C., and received my M.S. and Ph.D. in Public Health with a focus on Health Promotion, Education and Behavior. In 2009, I joined Baylor College of Medicine as a postdoctoral fellow and since then, have been a resident of Houston, Texas – one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the United States – for more than a decade. Diverse cities call to mind two different – and in many ways opposite – images. On the one hand, people live side by side and share spaces, but on the other hand, socioeconomic inequities and divisions are more likely to occur. These inequities are experienced more often by minority socio-economically disadvantaged families. When communities are disadvantaged because of implicit bias and the social determinants of health, they do not have a fair chance of achieving their best health possible. These are the reasons that got me interested in studying health disparities and exploring social determinants of health inequity as it relates to obesity and diet-related chronic disease prevention among individuals and families from low-income and racial/ethnic minority populations. I have a robust, federally funded research program in this area.

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 spend quite a bit of my time volunteering with several organizations as I am passionate about helping others and making a difference in people’s lives.

I completed my B.S. in Nutrition and Foodservice management at the University of Texas at Austin. After graduation, I worked as a licensed Dietitian at St. David’s Hospital. It was working in the Hospital that I discovered that I preferred Food Service management to working with patients’ diets. I pursued an MS in Health Care Administration from Texas State University and minored in Human Resource Management. After being married, I moved to New York, where I worked as a corporate nutritionist in Applied Nutrition Research at Kraft Foods. In 2002, we moved to Houston, Texas, and I joined the CNRC as a research dietitian. Subsequently, I went on to coordinate and manage multiple research projects working for Dr. Tom Baranowski and Dr. Karen Cullen.

Currently, I work with Dr. Jayna Dave as a project manager on several exciting and innovative projects focused on nutrition health disparities, food and nutrition security, and obesity and chronic disease prevention.

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) for minority populations. It fueled my interest in health disparities within low-income and minority populations. 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 our projects run as smoothly as possible and act 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 in medically underserved communities with H.O.P.E. Clinic here 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 was raised in Nigeria and moved to the United States to pursue my pediatric residency at Texas A&M/ Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Corpus Christi and then a pediatric nephrology fellowship at Washington University in St Louis/ St Louis Children’s Hospital. On completion of my fellowship training, I returned to Driscoll Children’s Hospital to provide care to the children of South Texas. Traveling to work at the border cities of McAllen and Brownsville opened my eyes to the existing disparities in healthcare access that exists for some minority children in South Texas. This experience sparked my interest in healthcare disparities.

I have a special interest in hypertension and social determinants of health. After spending time during fellowship exploring the possible genetic causes that might explain an increased prevalence of hypertension and kidney disease in the Pediatric African American community, in recent times, my focus has shifted to the impact of social needs, structural racism, and neighborhood characteristics on the prevalence and outcome of pediatric hypertension and glomerular diseases.

Dr. Dave’s interest in food insecurity and health inequalities aligns with my research interests, and she serves as my mentor. My goal is to optimize the nutritional intervention required in the management of childhood hypertension and adapt culturally appropriate recommendations to account for their varying social needs. 

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.