Anne is a new alumni and dietitian from the University of Alberta. As a Research Coordinator, Anne supports the ongoing research at Dr. Carla Prado’s lab through administrative work, study recruitment, and data collection and processing. In her spare time, Anne loves to cook, go for a run, and spend time with her friends and family. 

Teresita received her Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics and a Master’s in Public Nutrition, both with maximum distinction, all from Chile, her home country.

She worked as a Registered Dietitian, helping with nutritional and lifestyle counselling for individuals who needed changes to manage body weight, gastrointestinal conditions, autoimmune diseases, and chronic conditions. She always assured her counselling was research-based in order to give the best care to her patients. After gaining experience in the clinical human nutrition area, she started her Master’s in Public Nutrition and health promotion. After that, she designed, led, and published the first Nationwide study of the environmental impact of the Chilean diet. Since then, her interest in food and nutrition research has only grown.

She is currently working as a Research Coordinator at Dr. Carla Prado’s lab. In her free time, she enjoys doing yoga, bicycling, spending time in nature, cooking plant-based meals, and being with her family and her dog Echo.

Lourdes completed her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition at Universidad de las Américas Puebla (UDLAP) in Mexico and completed part of her program at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. She always felt passionate and curious about food and nutrition so she decided to study her Master’s degree in Food Science and Technology at the University of Alberta funded by the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACyT) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Fellowship (NSERC). In her program she developed a study using oats for the extraction and hydrolysis of its protein to understand the potential antidiabetic effects of oat peptides. During her studies she collaborated in multiple academic projects, presented her work in conferences, and instructed laboratory lectures for undergraduate courses. She’s currently working as a Research Assistant at Dr. Carla Prado’s lab. Lourdes enjoys mindfulness practice through meditation, reading, painting, and baking. She’s also into basketball, biking, and swimming.

Ana completed her Ph.D. in Sciences at the Research Center for Food and Development (CIAD) in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, her hometown-, where she is an experienced registered dietitian and diabetes educator. During the last years, her contributions published in scientific journals or presented at international conferences consist in sarcopenic obesity prevention in breast cancer patients during active cancer treatment, body composition assessment, and implementing food-based nutrition interventions using novel approaches to individualize dietary plans. She is an active member of several scientific societies focused on Nutrition and Dietetics and has received awards as an academic lecturer and researcher. Currently she is working as a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Prado and Dr. Tandon at the University of Alberta in a trial evaluating a digital app to deliver a combined nutrition and exercise intervention for patients with cirrhosis, cancer, and chronic obstructive lung disease. Outside of academia, Ana enjoys running, travelling and going to the theatre and museums.  

Bruna completed a Nutrition and Metabolism degree at the University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil - her home Country - where she is a registered dietitian. She also completed her internship at the University of São Paulo Faculty of Medicine Clinics Hospital of Ribeirão Preto, USP.

She has been involved in academic research since the beginning of her undergraduate program. She started researching obesity, body composition, and since 2015 she has been enthusiastic about breast cancer and body composition. Therefore, she decided to go deeper in this research area, through a doctorate degree at the University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, where she studies different techniques for assessing body composition, diet, oxidative stress and quality of life in breast cancer.

Due to Bruna's passion for having direct contact with patients, she also volunteered as a dietitian during her first and second year of PhD at the Faculty of Medicine Clinics Hospital of Ribeirão Preto. Bruna received a federal academic excellence award to visit Dr. Prado's lab, under the supervision of Dr Prado and was offered a post-doctoral position upon completing her doctoral degree. Bruna is a recipient of a MITACS fellowship award.

She loves cats, music, spending time with her family, playing sports, and travelling.

Flavio holds a Bachelor’s, a Master’s, and a Ph.D. in Human Nutrition, all from Brazil, his home country. He also has international and multicultural experience, having been a visiting undergraduate student at the University of Porto, Portugal, and a visiting Ph.D. student at the University of Alberta, Canada, in the Fall of 2021 - being awarded nationally competitive scholarships on both occasions. 

Flavio holds two Postgraduate diplomas. The first one is in Clinical Nutrition, obtained by the Residency Program in Clinical Nutrition, gaining hands-on experience providing nutritional care for clinical populations. The second one is in Epidemiology, deepening knowledge in scientific methods and biostatistics, and gaining hands-on experience working for Brazil’s Ministry of Health as a technical consultant. Additionally, Flavio holds a registered dietitian credential in Brazil and a Postgraduate Specialization credential in Nutrition Therapy, issued by the Brazilian Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. 

Flavio is passionate about teaching and research, having 5 years of experience as an undergraduate and postgraduate Professor in nutrition at different universities/colleges in Brazil. His research focuses on assessing body composition, energy metabolism, usual food intake, physical function, metabolic markers, gut microbiota, and ultimately on the study of sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity. His research is primarily focused on clinical populations, especially people living with obesity, obesity-related comorbidities, and post-bariatric surgery. 

Flavio is completely passionate about volleyball (watching and playing) and loves to do outdoor activities. He likes to spend his leisure time with friends and family, dancing and listening to music, watching movies and TV series. 

Kristine completed her PhD in rehabilitation science from the University of Alberta in 2019. She has an extensive background as a clinical exercise physiologist working in healthcare, community, and occupational health settings. She has been a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Prado’s lab since August 2021, supported by an Alberta Innovates Fellowship in Health Innovation. She is currently leading the POMELO [Prevention of MusclE Loss in Osteoarthritis] study, a pilot randomized trial funded by the Arthritis Society (website: pomelo.ualberta.ca). Kristine’s research examines the relevance of body composition in osteoarthritis management, including the identification, prevention, and treatment of sarcopenic obesity.

Anissa is a registered dietitian and PhD candidate supervised by Drs. Carla Prado and Jens Walter. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Food Sciences with distinction and completed an Integrated Dietetic Internship at the University of Alberta. Her doctoral research focuses on modulating the gut microbiome using nutrition interventions, especially by increasing dietary fibre intake, to benefit health. Anissa has been the recipient of numerous scholarships, such as the Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Scholarship, due to her extensive volunteering and academic excellence at the University of Alberta. Along with Dr. Prado and colleague Hillary Wilson, Anissa authored The High Protein Cookbook for Muscle Health During Cancer Treatment, which was recently awarded an international Gourmand cookbook award and is a bestseller on Amazon. In her spare time, Anissa loves to cook, go on hikes, travel, and spend time with family and friends. 

Ana Paula is a PhD candidate supervised by Dr Prado. She completed a Nutrition and Metabolism degree at the University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil - her home country -, where she is a registered dietitian. She also completed both her internship and Specialization in Nutrition at the Hospital of Clinics, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, USP. During her specialization she began working on the field of body composition assessment of patients with cancer and became very passionate about it. As such, she decided to pursue this passion working on a Master degree, also at USP, and received a competitive two-year scholarship. She completed her degree in 2019 and her work focuses on exploring different techniques for body composition assessment in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Ana Paula also loves connecting with patients and students. As a graduate student, she has volunteered as a dietitian at the Hospital of Clinics of Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, providing nutritional care for oncological outpatients and assisting undergraduate students during their internship at the same institution. As a PhD student, her current research aims to study energy requirements in patients with cancer using innovative techniques and approaches.

In her spare time she likes reading fiction books, watching tv series and movies and spending time with her husband and her dog Sushi.  

Julia has completed her BSc and internship in Nutrition at the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO), in Brazil, her home-country. She discovered her love for science during undergraduate degree, when she worked on different projects in the food science field. Julia also has a MSc degree in Food and Nutrition from the same university. Currently, she is a PhD student in Nutrition and Metabolism, supervised by Dr. Prado. Her academic excellence has led her to publish articles, present her work at academic conferences, and receive competitive scholarships. Julia’s study focuses on the impact of a higher protein intake in metabolism, body composition and gut microbiota in people with excessive body weight. In her spare time, Julia likes hiking, traveling, reading, and listening to music. 

Montse completed her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition at the University of the Valley of Atemajac (UNIVA) and one-year internship at the Western General Hospital (HGO) in Guadalajara, Mexico, her home-country. She worked as a Registered Dietitian and volunteered in different associations related to sarcopenia and muscular diseases where she discovered her passion for research, which led her to pursue her Master of Science with distinction, also at UNIVA. 

Montse has presented her projects in academic conferences and innovations centers. She has received a prestigious and highly competitive four-year scholarship as well as other awards due to her extensive academic excellence and innovation projects in health area. 

She is currently a first year PhD student in Nutrition and Metabolism at Dr. Prado’s lab, her research aims to study body composition abnormalities and energy needs in patients recovering from COVID-19. Outside of academia, Montse enjoys traveling, dancing ballet and spending time with her family and friends.

Chris is a first-year Master’s student supervised by Dr. Prado and Dr. Puneeta Tandon. In 2018, he earned his degree, a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Food Science with distinction, with a minor in Physical Activity, from the University of Alberta. He completed a year-long integrated dietetic internship and started his career in health care as a Registered Clinical Dietitian helping individuals use diet modifications to manage chronic diseases such as diabetes, kidney disease, and obesity. Though he continues to utilize his nutritional expertise and lifestyle counselling in health care he was introduced to the research world by Dr. Prado and his current research at the University of Alberta focuses on digital technologies to create innovative nutrition solutions for chronic disease. Outside of academia, Chris enjoys weightlifting, bodybuilding, rock climbing and playing video games and he has a strong interest in men’s fashion, is a creative cook, and tattoo collector. 

Camila Orsso is a doctoral student of Dr. Prado in the Nutrition and Metabolism program.

She previously earned a master’s degree in the same program at the UofA and a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from the Federal University of Technology – Paraná in Brazil. Camila’s efforts have focused on improving people’s physical activity and nutrition behaviours to support optimal body composition, health, and well-being.

Throughout her research training, she has gained first-hand experience in conducting exercise and nutrition studies as well as evaluating body composition in a wide range of clinical groups (including children with obesity, postmenopausal women, cancer survivors, and lung transplant candidates). Her current PhD research focuses on investigating the efficacy of a multimodal and digital intervention to improve body composition and chronic disease risk factors for people living in larger bodies. In her spare time, Camila enjoys having coffee with friends, spending time with her family, and exercising.

Homa completed her BSc of Science in Chemistry, with a minor in Biological Sciences, at the University of Calgary in 2018. Realizing her passion about making a difference in people’s lives to promote their health, she subsequently enrolled in the BSc of Nutrition and Food Science, Dietetics Specialization at the University of Alberta. During her undergraduate degree, she researched the efficiency and feasibility of current malnutrition screening tools in acute care settings. After completing a one-year Dietetic internship, she aspired to explore clinical nutrition research further, and to focus on how nutrition and lifestyle interventions can positively impact a person’s overall wellbeing and quality of life. Homa is a graduate student in Nutrition and Metabolism, supervised by Dr. Prado, her research will aim to investigate how digital platforms can be used to improve the health of Endometrial cancer survivors. Outside of academia, Homa enjoys spending time with her family, going on road trips, reading books, and watching movies.

Ana Carolina has completed her BSc and internship in Nutrition at the Federal University of Goiás (UFG), Brazil, her home country. As an undergraduate, she received two competitive scholarships and had award-winning research. She completed her master’s degree at UFG, Brazil, and is currently a doctoral student in the same program at UFG. During her master’s degree, she did a research internship at the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Cancer. In addition, she completed specializations in Nutrigenomics and Clinical Nutrition, in Brazil. In her academic trajectory, studies focused on bioactive compounds in foods, bioinformatics analyses, and epigenetics markers in patients with head and neck cancer. She is currently a Visiting PhD Student at the UofA, supervised by Dr. Prado. In her spare time, Ana enjoys watching TV series and spending time with her family and her dogs Soluço and Kira.

Iasmin has completed her BSc, internship, and Master Degree in Nutrition at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), in Brazil, her home-country. She also has international experience, having been a visiting undergraduate student at the University of Wollongong, Australia for one and a half years. Iasmin has been passionate about research since her first BSc in Biology field which made her go deeper into Human Nutrition science. Iasmin has almost 8 years of experience in Human Nutrition research, focusing on chronic diseases, body composition, nutritional assessment, physical function, sarcopenia and clinical outcomes.

Currently, she is a third year PhD student in Health Sciences at UFRN, and has been awarded with a scholarship for one year, to be a visiting student at the University of Alberta (UofA), Canada supervised by Dr. Prado.

Outside of the research environment, Iasmin loves traveling, spending time with family and friends, cooking, and watching movies.

Taiara is a PhD student in her final year at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. She received an award from the federal government to visit Dr. Prado's lab at the University of Alberta where she continues her education and training as part of her doctoral studies to understand the impact of body adiposity on the treatment outcomes of patients with breast cancer. Her love for the nutritional sciences started in her undergraduate studies from which she concluded with maximum distinction. Back home in Brazil, Taiara is an Oncology Dietitian who graduated from the competitive internship program at the National Cancer Institute Jose Alencar Gomes da Silva (INCA) and holds a specialization degree in Advanced Clinical Nutrition. Taiara has been studying cancer and body composition since 2017, and completed a hands-on research training during her time at INCA on muscle mass evaluation and its influence on patients with gynecological cancers. Furthermore, she is the co-author of a recently published book designed to provide guidance to nutrition professionals within the field of oncology. With her work, Taiara hopes to contribute to the improvement of cancer care and thusly a better quality of life for this population. In her spare time, she loves to be with her family and her dogs Amora and Carmela, as well as play sports, watch TV shows and travel.

Jordan is volunteering in the NUANCE cancer research study. She has a bachelor of Kinesiology from the University of Calgary and is currently in her second year of Dietetics Specialization at the University of Alberta. Jordan is interested in integrating her background knowledge from Kinesiology with nutrition and is excited to play a role in research at the PradoLab. Outside of academia, Jordan is an avid ultra runner and loves to spend her time in the mountains with her husband and dog.

Hailing from Vancouver, BC, Kelvin is a current student at the University of Alberta’s Dietetics Specialization who joined the Prado Lab in 2022 to assist Drs. Flavio Vieira and Kristine Godziuk in the POMELO study in data image analysis. Kelvin is passionate about leading to serve and has been awarded the University’s Undergraduate Leadership Award due to his passion to better his community through service and leadership. Kelvin works as a food service supervisor in BC, having 4 years of experience in BC healthcare system, and is passionate about system-wide changes to provide resources for individuals to reach their fullest potential.

When not at school or at work, Kelvin aims to discover the perfect coffee bean to water ratio to make a “classic” black coffee beverage, learning about classical antiquity and modern history, hiking BC’s mountains, and keeping up with his countrymen in badminton.

Megan Macasaet is a third year Dietetics student at the University of Alberta. She has previously volunteered in research labs at the University and her independent work has been published in an undergraduate academic journal. This past summer, she received an NSERC undergraduate research award and will share her project at a podium presentation on the impact of obesity and glycemia on human dendritic cells for the 2022 Alberta Diabetes Institute Research Day.

Currently, Megan is completing her capstone project with the DIRECTION (Digital Intervention for behaviouR changE and Chronic disease prevenTION) study, where she investigates the diet quality of those living in larger bodies seeking to improve chronic disease risk factors. Outside of academics, Megan enjoys reading, baking, trying new foods, and cheering on the Oilers.

Olivia is an undergraduate research volunteer in Dr. Prado’s Lab, where her efforts have been primarily focused on the PRIMe and POMELO studies. She is in the last semester of her Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Alberta (Campus Saint-Jean), with a major in Biological Sciences and a minor in Psychology. Although nutrition has not been the core focus of her studies, this volunteer opportunity has sparked her interest in the field and has allowed her to develop an appreciation for the inner workings of research in the domain of science. Outside of her studies, Olivia loves to play and watch sports, travel, spend time with her family, and is a big animal lover.

Sophie is a practicum student working as a research assistant from the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation at the University of Alberta. She is being supervised by Dr. Flavio Vieira and Dr. Kristine Godziuk while primarily working on the POMELO (Prevention of MusclE Loss in Osteoarthritis) study. Additionally, she will be involved with investigating energy expenditure and body composition in women diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Sophie has completed her Bachelor of Science degree with a major in biology at the University of Alberta and is currently earning a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology degree. She has a keen interest in understanding the human body, and the benefits of exercise to health. She wants to develop her skills in research and is excited about the multidisciplinary approach the Human Nutrition Research Unit offers. In her spare time, Sophie enjoys playing soccer and hockey, coaching, travelling, and spending time with friends and family.

Xinyi Wang is a Nutrition Honours undergraduate student at the University of Alberta. In her final year of this program, she is working on a systematic review/ meta-analysis project regarding protein supplementation in cancer patients as a research volunteer with Camila at Dr. Prado’s lab. Xinyi is passionate about nutrition interventions for the prevention and treatment of diverse chronic conditions and also nutritional requirements for cancer patients. Her capstone project investigated the cardiac toxicity induced by 5-fluorouracil and reversibility by fish oil in an experimental model of colorectal cancer. Also, her paper “The effect of Calcium and Sodium Intake on Bone Health” has been published in the 2022 International Conference on Food Biotechnology and Environmental Technology (FBET 2022) in China. Outside of academia, Xinyi enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with her family, friends and her cat Ocean.