Srimathi Kannan joined the Nutrition Department at UMASS, Amherst in September as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Kannan holds a Ph.D. in Nutrition Science from University of Tennessee, Knoxville and an M.S. in Foods and Nutrition from Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India. Her research investigations will focus on cultural aspects of applied nutrition, health disparities and biomarker assessment for (1) preventing chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and (2) promoting maternal, infant and child health. Her research goals are to design, implement, and evaluate culturally relevant community nutrition assessment and biomedically centered nutrition education research programs with an emphasis on promoting food-based approaches in helping to meet the needs for health protective micronutrients, and decreasing the consumption of those macronutrients considered health risk when consumed in excess (e.g. sodium). Her laboratory is interested in exploring the potential role of nutrition in modifying the health effects of environmental exposures (often referred to as nutrition-environment interaction) on birth outcomes and co-morbidities for CVD (e.g., metabolic syndrome). Her long term goals are to translate emerging nutrition science and biomarkers data from the laboratory for the purpose of evidence-based, theoretically-grounded and biomedical-nutrition science education in the dual areas of (1) maternal, infant and child nutrition, and (2) chronic disease prevention in population settings in the U.S and internationally.
