Gavin Fredrickson

Gavin Fredrickson is a fourth-year PhD student in the Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology and a predoctoral fellow on the Minnesota Obesity Prevention Training Program (MnOPT). His research has focused on the innate immune system and anti-obesity modalities; bariatric surgery and exercise. Specifically, his work has highlighted the importance of the innate immune system in mediating the resolution of the hepatic manifestation of obesity, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Currently, under the mentorship of Douglas Mashek, Gavin is studying novel mechanisms through which lipid droplets facilitate the progression of MASLD. Outside the lab, he enjoys the outdoors, woodworking, and spending time with friends and family.

Lenora Goodman

Lenora is a PhD student in social and behavioral epidemiology at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and a predoctoral fellow on the Minnesota Obesity Prevention Training Program (MnOPT) working with Nancy Sherwood. She is a mixed-methods researcher focused on social and structural determinants of maternal, child, and adolescent health with an emphasis on health equity and intersectionality. Lenora is a registered dietitian whose research interests are informed by previous work experience for the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program and in clinical pediatric endocrinology. With this background in health behavior, Lenora’s previous projects have examined how parents and children navigate nutrition and weight to inform clinical and public health interventions aimed at preventing nutrition-related chronic disease. Her current and upcoming projects include examining social determinants of pediatric cardiovascular health and evaluating federal food assistance programs. When not at work, Lenora enjoys yoga, cooking, baking, playing guitar, and being outside.

Email: goodm315@umn.edu

Jean Pierre Pallais

Jean Pierre Pallais is a sixth-year PhD student in the Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology at the University of Minnesota and a current fourth-year predoctoral fellow on the Minnesota Obesity Prevention Training (MnOPT) program. He holds a B.S. in Neuroscience from the University of Minnesota. Under his mentor, Alessandro Bartolomucci, he is investigating how microglial C3aR1 drives diet-induced neuroinflammation and how this receptor can be antagonized as a way to mitigate the risks for cognitive disorders that are downstream of obesity, as well as protect against obesity-induced metabolic deficits. Outside of the lab, Jean Pierre loves spending time with his wife and daughter, obsessing over music and collecting records, playing disc golf, and sleeping.

Highlighted Publication: PMCID: PMC8629782

Email: palla058@umn.edu

Breanna Metras, PhD, RDN

Breanna Metras is a first-year postdoctoral fellow in the Minnesota Obesity Prevention Training program (MnOPT) working with Abigail Johnson and Lisa Harnack in the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health. She has a B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Massachusetts Boston, a PhD in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, and is a registered eietitian. She serves as treasurer to the Student Fellows Association for the International Scientific Association of Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) and is a former nutrition graduate assistant from McKinley Health Center. Her previous work focused on the fermented dairy beverage Kefir, and its microbial composition in commercial and traditional products. She hopes to research dietary recall and the gut microbiome, work on policy development in fermented foods, and learn how to conduct human trials. She is passionate about translating nutrition science and making it more accessible to broader audiences.

Pedro Rodriguez

Pedro Rodriguez is a second-year, postdoctoral fellow on the Minnesota Obesity Prevention Training (MnOPT) program working with Alessandro Bartolomucci. His research focuses on the investigation of the receptor C3aR1 and its role in metabolism. More specifically, the development and characterization of therapeutic synthetic ligands derived from one of the receptor’s endogenous ligands, TLQP-21. Outside of lab work, Pedro spends his time with his family and friends, disc golfing and playing soccer.

V L. Pszczolkowski

V L. Pszczolkowski is a first-year postdoctoral fellow in the Minnesota Obesity Prevention Training (MnOPT) program, working with Emilyn Alejandro in the Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology. They have a B.S. in biochemistry from Warren Wilson College, and received their PhD from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2023, where they studied nutritional metabolism in lactation under the mentorship of Sebastian Arriola Apelo. They are a former USDA-NIFA Predoctoral Fellow, during which they led a project investigating the role of peripheral serotonin signaling in energy metabolism of lactating cows. Their primary research interests lie in reproductive and gestational health outcomes as they relate to metabolic dysfunction, particularly such dysfunctions as insulin resistance and hypertension that can arise due to hormonal changes from PCOS, hormone replacement therapy, etc. These dysfunctions make healthy pregnancies more difficult to achieve, and can have significant, long-term impacts on both the gestating parent as well as the offspring. Outside of the lab, Pszczolkowski can be found mountain biking, reading science fantasy novels, and exploring Minnesota with their partner and dogs.