Moreno Lab Members

I grew up on a farm outside of Raleigh, N.C. and then moved to New Orleans. La. where I graduated with a bachelor’s of arts in psychology from Tulane University. I then moved west along Interstate 10 to Baton Rouge, La. where I obtained a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Louisiana State University. I journeyed a little further west down Interstate 10 to Houston where I completed a clinical internship and post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine, specializing in pediatric psychology at Texas Children’s Hospital. I am currently an assistant professor of pediatrics in the Children’s Nutrition Research at Baylor College of Medicine. My research focuses on understanding behavioral factors related to the development of obesity among children and the development of  behavioral interventions for the prevention of childhood obesity. I am particularly interested in translating circadian research into interventions for the prevention of childhood obesity. In my free time, I can usually be found in my garden where I focus on planting native Texas plants and taking close-ups of the pollinators that visit my flowers. I also enjoy spending time with my family, exercising, exploring Texas, collecting sea glass (outside of Texas), and snuggling with my tuxedo cat and Havanese.

I am one of our more experienced team members and serve as senior research coordinator in the Moreno Research Lab. After moving from Irvine, California, I completed my undergraduate at the University of Houston in human nutrition. During this time I was a member of ADA, HADA, Student Nutrition Association, and Nutrition Graduate Student Association. I then went on to do the combined master of science degree and dietetic internship through Texas Women’s University and became a registered and licensed dietitian. Not only did this dietetic internship prepare me to work with patients with various dietary needs, it also sparked an interest in research and prevention. My research thesis: The Impact of Switching to Lower Fat Milk as a Simple dietary Modification in Adolescents, focused on how a simple dietary modification from whole milk to reduced, or fat free milk in children can reduce calories and calories from fat in their dietary intake. I am bilingual (Urdu/Hindi) and have also studied some Spanish. I have been working at the Children’s Nutrition Research Center at BCM since 2005 on projects including: Food Intake Recording Software Development and Validation for Children (FIRSST4) (2008-2011); PROP sensitivity and Obesity among Ethnic Children (2006-2008 Video games for Obesity and Diabetes Prevention (2008-2009); Digital Food Photography for FIRSST software (2007-12); Validation of the Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour Dietary Recall for Children (ASA24-Kids) (2013); Parenting Game App (KIDDIA)(2013-14); DIAB-NANO-G4H (2013-16); Active Video Game (AVG) (2013-14); SUN-ASA24-KIDS (2013-16); School Summer Sleep Study (2016-17); and the i♥rhythm Project (2017-current). I currently have 14 peer reviewed publications.

I began my career in the coordination of research studies at BCM when I was an undergraduate at the University of Houston. After graduating with a degree in nutrition, I joined the BCM staff as a research coordinator and served as a lead interventionist and outcome specialist for several school based obesity prevention programs with elementary and middle school students. In addition, I assisted with the Fort Bend ISD study in which we collected heights and weights from the 2005 kindergarten cohort at the beginning and end of each school year through fifth grade. Dr. Moreno and I began working together in 2007 when she joined the research team as an intern. The Fort Bend ISD data led to the discovery that elementary school children increased their standardized BMI at a faster rate during summer compared to the school year, a paper that was published by Dr. Moreno in 2013. After taking some time off to start a family, I decided to team up with Dr. Moreno again, as she begins her own independent research lab, to further study the causes of accelerated summer weight gain in children. I am currently serving as an outcome specialist on the i♥rhythm project, a study which aims to examine the feasibility of a mobile health intervention designed to prevent accelerated summer weight gain in children by promoting healthy sleep and circadian rhythms. I am also working toward obtaining a master’s in public health from Lamar University. When I am not working or studying, I enjoy spending time with my family and watching the Texans.

I am from sunny Los Angeles, California, though I was born and raised in a small suburb called Natick in Massachusetts. I am currently a pre-med student (or maybe pre-law?) at Rice University at Duncan College (peace! love! duncan!) where I am double majoring in kinesiology with a concentration in sports medicine and French studies, and minoring in biochemistry. I joined the Moreno lab in 2019, studying external factors' influence on children's circannual rhythms as well as assisting on the ii♥rhythm Project investigating pediatric anthropometric and melatonin shifts during the summertime period. In my off time, you might catch me lifeguarding, biking, playing music (about 13 instruments so far!), rooting for the New England Patriots, or fostering baby kittens.

I’m originally from Kansas and lived in Maryland for a few years before I moved to Texas in 2009. I received my B.S. in biomedical engineering from the University of Houston and my M.S. in biomedical engineering from the University of Michigan. My research interests are in machine learning and signal processing for biomedical applications. I started working with the Moreno Research Lab in the CNRC at the beginning of 2023. As a scientific programmer, I’m mainly involved in data processing, programming, software testing, and device management for studies. I’m currently assisting with the i♥rhythm project and Goodnight Screen Media (GNSM) study led by Dr. Moreno. I am also a part of the Digital Assessment Core led by Dr. Moreno. In my free time, I enjoy practicing piano, rock climbing, and learning languages. 

I am originally from India and moved to the United States to pursue my master's degree. I hold a B.E. in Electronics and Communication and a Master’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Rice University, with a focus on Computer Vision. My research interests lie in Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Computer Vision. Currently, I am part of the Digital Assessment Core led by Dr. Moreno, where I contribute to the Family Level Assessment of Screen Use in the Home-Television (FLASH-TV) project. I am also involved in the Goodnight Screen Media (GNSM) study, led by Dr. Moreno. I am multilingual and know four languages: English, Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi. In my free time, I enjoy outdoor activities, traveling, sketching, and dancing.

I am from the beautiful Texas hill country just outside of Austin, Texas. I joined the Moreno lab in 2023 after graduating from the University of Notre Dame where I received my B.S. in neuroscience and behavior. During my undergrad, I worked as a research assistant in a sleep, stress, and memory lab and wrote an honors thesis investigating the impact of anxiety and attention levels on memory. I plan to apply to graduate school and pursue a career in clinical psychology in the future. When I’m not working, I enjoy playing the piano, dancing, reading, cooking, and exploring Houston. 

Upon moving back to the Houston area in the summer of 2024, I joined the Moreno Lab as an addition to the team working on the SCREENS and Goodnight Screen Media (GNSM) studies. Prior to joining the Moreno Lab, I graduated from The University of Texas at San Antonio with a B.S. in Kinesiology with an emphasis in health science. Go ‘runners! During my time there, I worked as a research assistant in the Athletic Performance, Strength & Aging Lab and coordinated a study on bilateral running asymmetry overground and on treadmills among recreational young adults. In the future, I hope to further my education in graduate school (I would like to get my MD and/or MPH), and eventually find my way to the global and preventive medicine field. Outside of work, I also enjoy working out at my local gym, reading books, journaling, learning Hindi, listening to podcasts, and spending time with loved ones.

I received my B.S. in psychology from Florida State University and my Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. I completed my pre-doctoral clinical psychology internship at Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine, followed by post-doctoral fellowships at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center. During my time at the CNRC, I worked with Dr. Moreno and Dr. O’Connor on projects related to infant and early childhood sleep as a novel predictor of risk for later childhood obesity. Currently, I am an assistant professor in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine. I have a passion for helping children, adolescents, and their families improve their day-to-day functioning and overall quality of life, and have a special interest in improving access to behavioral health services. Outside of work, I enjoy cooking, painting, and going on long walks with my dog Rosie.