Principal Investigator
Heewon L. Gray, PhD, RDN
Dr. Gray is an Associate Professor at the University of South Florida College of Public Health (COPH). Her expertise is in the field of behavioral nutrition, with a focus on improving eating behaviors and preventing diet-related chronic diseases, such as obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents.
As the Principal Investigator of the R21 grant (R21HD106182) funded by NICHD, Dr. Gray recently completed a study aimed to determine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a nutrition intervention for toddlers with ASD and their parents through the Early Intervention Services. She uses evidence-based feeding strategies and behaviorally-focused nutrition education for children with ASD and their families. Since 2023, her team has also been working on expanding the age group of this intervention to preschoolers (3-5 years), which is one of the Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P) programs funded by HRSA through University of California, Los Angeles.
Dr. Gray is currently leading the Community-derived Multilevel-Multicomponent Nutrition Intervention: FRESH-EATS (R21MD019963) funded by NIH.
She serves as a faculty fellow at the USF COPH Chiles Center. In addition, she is the Faculty Lead for the Nutrition Research & Health Scholarly Concentration (nSC) of the Research, Innovation & Scholarly Endeavors (RISE) program at the USF Morsani College of Medicine. Through her involvement in the nSC program, Dr. Gray provides guidance and mentorship to medical students interested in nutrition, helping to cultivate their knowledge and skills in this important area of healthcare. She is also actively involved in local, national, and international nutrition professional societies. Dr. Gray served on the Leadership Committee of the USF Urban Food Sovereignty Group. She has received multiple recognitions for her work, including the Professional Achievement Award in Community Nutrition from the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior (SNEB) in 2019 and a Best Article Award from the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. She currently serves as Vice President of SNEB (2025-2026).
PhD in Behavioral Nutrition, Columbia University, 2009
MEd in Community Nutrition Education, Teachers College, Columbia University, 2006
MS in Human Nutrition, Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University, 2002
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (Credential ID No. 959398), March 2008
BS in Nutrition, Seoul Women's University, 1997
Graduate Students
Abby Paulson, BA, PMP
Abby is a Master's of Public Health student with a background in project management for brain sciences. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in research psychology from Vanderbilt University. Her research interest is primarily in children's health, aiming to advance child health through evidence-based research.
Marco is pursuing a Master of Public Health, concentrating in Applied Biostatistics. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. His research interests are cancer, obesity, nutrition, and prevention. After graduation he hopes to work for government or research hospitals as a data analyst with the skills he attained throughout his research experience and graduate program. He also hopes to be able to advocate for marginalized populations of people that do not have proper access to food or healthcare through extracurricular activities within his community.
Kayla is a second-year graduate student obtaining a Master's in Public Health, concentrating in Maternal and Child health. She earned her Bachelors of Science in Biological Health Sciences and Health Administration from USF. Her research interests center on improving treatment strategies for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, with a particular focus on promoting educational awareness and improving nutritional education for both children with ASD and throughout the pediatric field.
My name is Daniela Diaz. I am currently a dietetic intern at the University of South Florida pursuing my Master of Public Health. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics and a minor in Business Administration from Florida State University.
Jahnique is currently a dietetic intern at the University of South Florida pursuing a Masters of Public Health. She graduated with her Bachelors of Science in Food Science and Nutrition from Louisiana State University. She hopes to continue to serve underserved minority communities, helping them feel confident in taking preventive measures through nutrition to avoid chronic diseases.
Ayomide is a second-year Master of Public Health student at USF with a concentration in Health Promotion and Behavior. She graduated with her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a minor in Public Health from the University of Florida. Her research interests include preventing chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes through nutrition and physical activity in minority populations and hopes to work in health education upon the completion of her program.
Carla is a Masters of Public Health student at the University of South Florida, concentrating in Healthcare Organization and Management. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from Florida State University and has a strong academic and professional interest in advancing primary care access and reducing healthcare disparities in underserved communities. Carla has conducted research on social vulnerability and disaster recovery in Hispanic populations and is an active contributor to community-based public health initiatives. With aspirations to become a primary care physician, Carla seeks to integrate clinical, administrative, and public health strategies to drive equitable healthcare outcomes across Florida.
Medical Students from the RISE program
Carissa is a 2nd-year medical student at USF MCOM with a scholarly concentration in nutrition. She is interested in specializing in family medicine or internal medicine. She wants to incorporate nutrition research and education into clinical therapies for future patients.
William is a second-year medical student at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, and has a strong research interest in nutrition, public health, and health policy. He is originally from Miami, Florida, and went to Rice University in Houston, Texas for undergraduate degree in Sports Medicine & Exercise Physiology.
Austin is a second-year medical student at USF MCOM. He earned his BA in Human Biology at the University of California, Berkeley and his experience working with neurodivergent children sparked an interest in improving pediatric nutrition and wellness. He is passionate about improving health outcomes in his community through nutritional education.
Kaleb is a second-year medical student at MCOM in the nutrition scholarly concentration who is interested in becoming a cardiologist. Originally from Minnesota, Kaleb attended Brown University where he majored in Neuroscience. He is interested in learning more about nutrition and researching nutrition in order to incorporate it into his future practice.
Undergraduate Students
Amanda is an undergraduate student in the USF Judy Genshaft Honors College with a major in Biomedical Sciences and a minor in Spanish. As a pre-medical student, she hopes to work with underserved communities in the field of immunology.
Ryan is an undergraduate student in the University of South Florida Judy Genshaft Honors College, pursuing a degree in Biology with a concentration in Medical Biology. His future goals include becoming a physician and specializing in the fields of obesity and nutritional medicine to promote healthier lifestyles.
Maha is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences with a minor in Psychology at the University of South Florida, where she is also a member of the Judy Genshaft Honors College. She is on the pre-medical track and is passionate about pursuing a career in medicine. In the future, she hopes to attend medical school and become a doctor who provides compassionate care to her patients.
Taylor Morse is an undergraduate student at the University of South Florida, pursuing a degree in Public Health with a minor in Nutrition. She aspires to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, supporting individuals with complex, long-term health and nutrition needs through a trauma-informed, patient-centered approach, in interdisciplinary settings.
I am a second year undergraduate student at USF Judy Genshaft Honors majoring in Biomedical Sciences. My future goal is to become a physician and integrate nutrition into neurological or gastrointestinal health to promote overall patient well-being.
Former Students
Felize P. Ginampos, BS
Jana Kandil, BS - medical student
Gabrielle Nutt, BS
Alanis Rosado, MD
Gabriella Hinks, MPH, CPH
Samuel Won
Rihana Aydin, BS
Aaliyah Torres, BA
Thakur Sai Manogna Bais, MPH, CPH, BDS
Ankeeta Klinger RD, LD/N - a clinical dietitian for Orlando Health
Catalina Sanchez Escobar
Tiantian Pang, PhD, MPH, CPH - Population Health Analytics, CareNu
Stefanny Funes, MPH
Claudia Jimenez, MPH
Apoorva Desaraju
Whitney Fung Uy, PhD - Research Scientist, Center for Nutrition & Health Impact
Acadia W. Buro, PhD - Assistant Professor, University of New Mexico
Monise M. Harris, MPH
Karah A. Waters, BSN, RN, CLC, CPH
LaShae Rolle, MPH
Syed Hasan, BS
Evelyn Spiller, BS
Mikaela Strange, BS
Sweta Sinha, MPH
Chantell Robinson, MPH
Janelle Barrera Ikan, MPH, CPH, CHES - Research Manager, Innovation in Mental Health Lab, USF