Student
University of Connecticut
Through my research, I hope to better understand how lifestyle factors, such as diet and exercise, influence our health. I have worked with Dr. Andersen in the Nutritional Sciences Department at UConn for the past two years on projects aimed at the potential immunomodulatory role of HDL cholesterol in the context of an egg dietary intervention study. We have found that consumption of whole eggs versus egg whites has differential effects on clinical immune cell markers, immune gene expression, HDL functional capacity, and HDL composition of the lipidome and proteome. In addition to my work in understanding immunonutrition, I worked with data from a survey collecting information on covid-19 illness and vaccination. I looked at variables pertaining to stress, diet, exercise, and hormonal therapy use, among others. Although a pilot study with limited data for some questions, it was interesting to see significant relationships between these lifestyle variables and participants' perceived side effect and symptom severity from their covid-19 illness or vaccinations. These findings not only demonstrate the connection between lifestyle and health, but further emphasize the importance of research to better understand how we can optimize the factors that influence our immune function.