School of Medicine
Showing 1-10 of 59 Results
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Lucia Aronica
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, SCRDP/ Heart Disease Prevention
Bio Over the past ten years my research has focused on the field of epigenetics, which investigates how environmental factors can affect gene activity thereby impacting our health and predisposition to diseases. Unlike genetic factors, epigenetic modifications are flexible and can store cell memories of life exposures such as diet, stress or environmental toxins. As such, they hold great potential in personalized health as biomarkers for exposure-driven chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
I am currently leading the epigenetic analysis of the largest study ever undertaken in personalized nutrition on low carb vs. low fat diets – the DIETFITS study by Prof Christopher Gardner. My primary goal is to understand how weight-loss affects gene activity through epigenetic modifications, and whether we can use these modifications to predict diet response for personalized weight-loss strategies.
I also teach Nutritional Genomics at Stanford Continuing Studies, Stanford Sport Medicine and at the Stanford Center for Professional Development. An award-winning science communicator, I use creative forms of communication such as digital drawings to explain complex topics from the world of epigenetics and science. Finally, I serve as an advisor for personal genomics companies, self-tracking technology businesses, and companies interested in investing in precision health research. -
Benjamin Chrisinger
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, SCRDP/ Heart Disease Prevention
Bio With a background in urban planning and environmental sciences, Dr. Chrisinger is committed to research that helps us understand relationships between the built environment and health, especially health disparities. Dr. Chrisinger is the co-Principal Investigator (Dr. Abby King, co-PI) for a pilot study, the Stress Experiences in Neighborhood and Social Environments Study (SENSES), that initiates a new line of inquiry using physiological data to better understand individuals' neighborhood perceptions within a community-engaged research process.
His previous research has examined efforts to open new supermarkets in underserved areas ("food deserts") by considering development processes, store-level outcomes, and community and customer experiences. Another element of his past and continuing food environment research includes issues surrounding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps), and was a co-Investigator (Amy Hillier, PI) on a study funded by the USDA Economic Research Service to explore questions related to food store choice and nutritional outcomes. With Dr. Abby King’s Citizen Science Initiative, he also has coordinated a research partnership between with stakeholders in Camden, New Jersey to assess the city's healthy corner store initiatives.
Dr. Chrisinger completed his doctoral training in City and Regional Planning at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a former fellow with the Emerging Leaders in Science and Society (ELISS) Program at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Graduate Research Fellow with the National Science Foundation. He received undergraduate (Environmental Sciences, Urban and Environmental Planning) and graduate (Urban and Environmental Planning) degrees from the University of Virginia.
