Diabetes, Nutrition and Obesity
At the 47th meeting of the National Academy of Medicine, Dr. Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization, presented a keynote address focused on diabetes and its precursor, obesity ( https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/2016/obesity-diabetes-disaster/en/). In the address, Dr. Chan called diabetes “one of the biggest global health crises of the 21st century.” At the same meeting, invited speakers revealed the key drivers of obesity, as well as clinical interventions including dietary and lifestyle changes.
Faculty researchers in the College of Health Sciences investigating diabetes, nutrition and obesity are contributing to the body of knowledge within these fields, and have many specializations including lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity; nutrition and chronic disease prevention; nutrition for special populations; and obesity and energy balance. Additionally, CHS is home to the Diabetes Garage, a unique nationally recognized diabetes prevention initiative targeting Hispanic men.
CHS Leaders in Diabetes, Nutrition and Obesity Studies
Dr. Sudip Bajpeyi
Professor of Kinesiology
J. Edward and Helen M.C. Stern Endowed Professor in Neuroscience
Director, MiNER Laboratory
sbajpeyi@utep.edu
Specialization: Insulin resistance; obesity; Type 2 Diabetes; intramyocellular lipids; mitochondrial bioenergetics; lipid metabolism
Dr. Ximena Burgos
Assistant Professor of Practice, Public Health Sciences
xburgos@utep.edu
Specialization: Nutrition through the life cycle; chronic disease prevention; nutritional epidemiology
Dr. Jeannie Concha
Associate Professor of Public Health
jeannie@utep.edu
Specialization: Hispanic disparities in diabetes
Communities of Practice: TTUHSC-EL PASO/UTEP Collaborative Research Community
Dr. Bruce Friedman
Professor of Social Work
bdfriedman@utep.edu
Specialization: Culture in childhood diabetes;, role of culture and poverty in obesity; senior nutrition
Dr. Maria Duarte
Professor of Public Health
Chair, Public Health Sciences
moduarte@utep.edu
Specialization: Nutrition and chronic disease prevention; gestational diabetes
Communities of Practice: Undergraduate Research, TTUHSC-EL PASO/UTEP Collaborative Research Community
Dr. Thenral Mangadu
Professor of Public Health
Peter de Wetter Endowed Professor in Health Sciences
tmangadu@utep.edu
Specialization: Nutrition in special populations
Dr. Jennifer Salinas
Associate Professor of Social Work
jsalinas7@utep.edu
Specialization: Cancer and diabetes prevention in Hispanic populations, obesity
Dr. Gregory Schober
Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation Sciences
gschober@utep.edu
Specialization: Health Disparities among patients with diabetes in the U.S.-Mexico border region
Communities of Practice: Community of Engaged Scholars, UTEP Community Engagement and Research in COVID-19
