The Nutrition BEST program could not be possible without the leadership and involvement of multiple faculty, staff and community members spread across the state. Please see the additional information below about all affiliated Nutrition BEST personnel. 

Project Director (PD) and Research Mentor 

• Naïma Moustaïd-Moussa, Ph.D. and Research Mentor
  Paul W. Horn Distinguished Professor, Department of Nutritional Sciences, Associate Vice President for Research and Director, Obesity Research Institute, Office of Research & Innovation

Co-Project Directors (Co-PDs)

• Jaclyn Cañas-Carrell, Co-PD, Recruitment 
• Marianne Evola, Co-PD, RCR, & Leadership Training
• Karen Franck, Co-PD, Evaluation 
• Chanaka Kahathuduwa, Co-PD, literature/ data analyses 
• Oak Hee Park, Co-PD, Research Mentor, Community Nutrition
• Jessica Spott, Collaborator, Recruitment 

Research Mentors

• Kembra Albracht-Schulte, lifestyle interventions
• Halima Bensmail, machine learning biostats/bioinformatics
• Jannette Dufour, basic science-diabetes
• Hanna Moussa, imaging & modeling
• Wilna Oldewage-Theron, community nutrition
• Catherine Simpson, plant sciences, phytochemicals
• Leslie Thompson, food science & safety 
• Yujiao Zu, diet-gene interactions in obesity 

Extension Mentors

• Molly Forman, Co-PD, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Regional (North) Program Leader 
• Cory Edwards, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension County (Lubbock) Program Specialist, FCH 
• Amber Bozeman, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension County (Lubbock) Agent, BLT 
• Christina Reid, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension County (Lubbock) Agent, CEA & Horticulture
• Sonja Stueart-Davis, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension County (Harris) Agent FCH