The Nutrition BEST program would 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., DFASN, FAHA, FTOS, FNAI
  

  Executive Director for Institute for One Health Innovation

  Paul W. Horn Distinguished Professor for TTU Department of Nutritional Sciences, TTU Professor for Department of Cell Biology & Biochemistry, TTUHSC

  Founding Director of the Obesity Research Institute

   

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 analysis 
• 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
• Chanaka Kahathuduwa, Literature/Data Analysis
• Hanna Moussa, imaging & modeling
• Oak Hee Park,Community Nutrition
• Catherine Simpson, plant sciences, phytochemicals
• Anastasia Stellato, Ph.D. 
• Clarissa Strieder-Barboza, D.V.M., M.S., Ph.D.
• Leslie Thompson, food science & safety 
• Grant Tinsley, Ph.D., CSCS,*D 
• 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