2025 Graduate Student Research Competition

STUDENT RESEARCH COMPETITION AWARD WINNERS

Fifth Annual Obesity Research Initiative Symposium February 11, 2025

Awards 

Oral Presentation: 1st place Monetary Award

Poster Presentation: 1st and 2nd place  (multiple categories) Monetary Awards

Topic Categories

All submissions must be obesity related. Abstracts are accepted in one of four categories:

  • Basic Science Research
  • Clinical Research
  • Social and Behavioral Research
  • Community and/or Policy Research

Student Presentation Winners

Oral Presentation Winner

Tianli Wang  PhD Student, Department of Nutritional Sciences, First Place 

 Presentation: The Interactive Effect of Prenatal Vitamin D Status and Maternal Obesity on Birth Outcomes among US Black Women.

Tianli Wang is a PhD/DI student in the Department of Nutritional Sciences, Child Diet and Health Disparities Research Lab under the direction of Dr. Sina Gallo. Her re- search focuses on the effect of vitamin D status in pregnant women on birth outcomes.

Basic Science Poster Winners

Austin Mills, PhD Student, Nutritional Sciences. First Place 

Presentation: Impact of Adolescent Semaglutide Injections on Body Weight and Composition

Rawad Basma, Master’s Student, Nutritional Sciences.  Second Place 

Presentation: Effect of an Adolescent Western Diet on the Brain and Impulsive Eating Behavior

Clinical, Behavior, or Community Poster Winners

Alyssa Guadagni  PhD Candidate, Nutritional Sciences. First Place

Presentation: Impact of Pecan Consumption on Fasting Blood Lipids: A Dose-Response Analysis

 

Megan Appelbaum PhD Candidate, Nutritional Sciences. Second Place

Presentation: Methods Used in a Pre- implementation Analysis of Evidence- Based Family Healthy Weight Programs in Georgia Cooperative Extension