"My interest in nutrition was sparked in high school when I learned about the Dutch Hunger Winter, which was a famine in the Netherlands during World War II.

Researchers found that the children whose mothers were pregnant during the famine had increased risk of chronic diseases in adulthood. I was fascinated to learn that exposure to an adverse event in utero, such as severe undernutrition, could have such long-term impacts on health.

I am interested in nutritional exposures during the first 1,000 days of life. Last school year, I was a graduate research assistant for the Mothers and Infants LinKed for Healthy Growth (MILK) study, which is examining how breast milk is related to mother and infant weight gain and body composition. Working on the MILK Study was a very enriching experience because I got to work with wonderful people who were also passionate about helping babies achieve a healthy start in life.”