Research Team

Ms. Yinan Lang, MSc — PhD Student

Yinan is a Dietitian focusing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and the effects on maternal metabolism and postpartum health. Her current research explore postpartum weight retention and metabolic alterations during and after pregnancy, aiming to identify modifiable nutritional and lifestyle factors that support long-term maternal health. She specializes in systemic review & meta-analysis and R-based modeling, focusing on nutritional intervention, metabolism, and cultural dietary patterns to improve women’s perinatal health.

PhD Committee: Dr Tamara Cohen (UBC) and Dr Scott Lear (SFU)

Ms. Klaudia Jaszcza, PhD — Visiting Scholar (Dekaban Foundation)

Klaudia Jaszcza is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Animal Physiology and Endocrinology, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Poland. She obtained MSc degrees from the Faculty of Biology and the Faculty of Chemistry at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, and completed her PhD in animal sciences at the University of Agriculture in Krakow. Her research focuses on physiological and molecular mechanisms regulating metabolism and on the effects of bioactive compounds such as metformin, plant extracts, and medicinal mushrooms on metabolic disorders, particularly type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Currently, as a visiting researcher at the University of British Columbia, Klaudia is leading a systematic review and meta-analyses investigating the role of branched-chain fatty acids (BCFA) in glucose metabolism, obesity, T2DM and depression across the life span.

Ms. Anroop Chandi

Anroop is an undergraduate biochemistry student interested in studying the biochemical and molecular determinants of women’s health. Her current research interests focus on the dietary effects on metabolic outcomes, including postpartum weight retention, insulin resistance, and glucose regulation. She has particular interest in the mental health outcomes of racialized women and aims to expand her research to gain a more holistic understanding of women’s health.

Dr. Monika Zielińska-Pukos, PhD (Assistant professor, Warsaw University of Life Sciences)

Monika investigates the relationship between maternal nutrition, human milk composition and infant development. As a Dekaban Scholar at UBC, Monika led the investigation to unravel how maternal metabolism in mid-pregnancy affects offspring growth in the first 3 years of life.

Dr. Nimisoere Batubo, PhD, MBBS

Nimisoere is a physician and Tertiary Education Fund (TETfund) recipient leading the deign, validation, and practical application of a Nigerian Dietary Screening Tool (NiDST) and Nigerian Dietary Risk Score (NiDRS) to support early screening of hypertension risk and foster – clinician-patient discussions of appropriate prevention strategies. He is a clinical researcher at Rivers State University Teaching Hospital.

(Co-supervisors: Prof Bernadette Moore and Dr Carol Auma)

Dr. Cassy Dingena, Ph.D.

Cassy investigated the lifestyle, physical, and clinical parameters influencing postprandial glucose levels in pregnant women with diabetes. Following. large systematic reviews & meta-analyses, Cassy applied advanced statistical models within R to unravel their associations with 24-hour glucose levels and find ket dietary mediators of glucose control.

(Co-supervisors: Dr Eleanor Scott and Dr Melvin Holmes)

Dr. Harriett Fuller, Ph.D.

Harriett applied advanced genetic, metabolite, and epidemiological strategies within a large ethnically-diverse cohort to demonstrate subtle metabolic and genetics features that contribute to the disparity of risk for gestational diabetes between white European and South Asian populations.

(Co-supervisors: Dr Mark Iles and Prof Bernadette Moore)