Unhee Lim  , PhD, MS
Full Member, Population Sciences in the Pacific Program (Cancer Epidemiology)University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center
Work Email: ulim@cc.hawaii.edu Work Email: Unhee@hawaii.edu
Research Interests
Dr. Lim studies the role lifestyle in the development and racial/ethnic disparities of common cancers and dementia, incorporating blood biochemistry, DNA methylation, the gut microbiome, and imaging.
Recent Publications
- Park SY, Setiawan VW, White LR, ..., Lim U. Modifying effects of race and ethnicity and APOE on the association of physical activity with risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Alzheimers Dement 2022. PMID: 3547309. PMC9810117.
- Lim U, Wang S, Park SY, ..., Setiawan VW. Risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia by sex and race/ethnicity: The Multiethnic Cohort Study. Alzheimers Dement 2021. PMC9177893.
- Song MA, Seffernick AE, Archer KJ, ..., Lim U. Race/ethnicity-associated blood DNA methylation differences between Japanese and European American women: an exploratory study. Clin Epigenetics 2021. PMC8507376.
- Lim U, Monroe KR, Buchthal S, ..., Le Marchand L. Propensity for intra-abdominal and hepatic adiposity varies among ethnic groups. Gastroenterology 2019. PMC6409195.
- Publication list via My NCBI (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/unhee.lim.1/bibliography/public/)
Recent Grants
U. Lim, Co-Investigator; L. Le Marchand, PI National Cancer Institute R01 CA258179 “Effects of intermittent energy restriction on intra-abdominal fat and the gut microbiome: a randomized trial” 09/2021 – 08/2026 U. Lim, PI; J. Lampe and M. Hullar, MPI National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities R01 MD018265 “Longitudinal study of early NAFLD progression and the gut microbiome in Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Whites” 09/2022 – 06/2027Current Graduate Students
- Homa Sadeghi, PhD, University of Southern California (co-mentor; diet and NAFLD/MAFLD)
- Devon Cataldi (pending PhD), University of Hawaii Cancer Center (co-mentor; body composition and health/health disparities)
- Gina Nam, PhD student, University of California Los Angeles (co-mentor; risk of Alzheimer disease and related dementia in cancer survivors)
Chloe Panizza Lozano  , PhD, MHlthProm, GradDip Dietetics
Affiliate Graduate FacultyDepartment of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources – University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
Work Email: cpanizza@hawaii.edu
Research Interests
mHealth, Nutrition Artificial Intelligence, nutrition assessment, dietary patterns, obesity prevention and management, nutrition education, dietary behavior change, and community nutrition.
Recent Publications
- Lozano, C.; Saha, S.; Broyles, S.; Martin, C.; Apolzan, J. O28 Validation of a Mobile App for Providing Real-Time Estimates of Portion Size, Energy Intake and MyPlate Food Group Servings. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2022, 54(7):S14-S15. doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2022.04.035
- Lozano, C.; Wilkens, L.; Shvetsov, Y.; Maskarinec, G.; Park, S.; Shepherd, J.; Boushey, C.; Hebert, J.; Wirth, M.; Ernst, T.; Randolph, T.; Lim, U.; Lampe, J.; Le Marchand, L.; Hullar, M. Associations of the Dietary Inflammatory Index with total adiposity and ectopic fat through the gut microbiota, lipopolysaccharides, and C-reactive protein in the Multiethnic Cohort-Adiposity Phenotype Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2021, Dec 6:nqab398. Epub ahead of print. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqab398
- Panizza, C.E.; Lim, U.; Yonemori, K.M.; Cassel, K.D.; Wilkens, L.R.; Harvie, M.N.; Maskarinec, G.; Delp, E.J.; Lampe, J.W.; Shepherd, J.A.; Le Marchand, L.; Boushey, C.J. Effects of Intermittent Energy Restriction Combined with a Mediterranean Diet on Reducing Visceral Adiposity: A Randomized Active Comparator Pilot Study. Nutrients 2019, 11, 1386. doi: 10.3390/nu11061386
Recent Grants
National Institute of Food and Agriculture/USDA. Award Number 2023-67012-39409. PI: Lozano, C.. Primary Mentor: Novotny, R. Additional Mentor: Martin, C. 04/01/2023-03/31/2025. mHealth to Improve Diet Quality Among Adolescents in EFNEP in Hawaii.
Gertraud Maskarinec  , MD PhD
Professor, Cancer Epidemiology Program and Program Director, Post-Doctoral Training ProgramUniversity of Hawai‘i Cancer Center – University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
Home Phone: 808.586.3078
Research Interests
Preventive medicine and nutritional epidemiology, etiology of breast cancer, Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL), and type 2 diabetes.
Recent Publications
- Maskarinec G, Harmon BE, Melissa AL, Ollberding, NJ, Kolonel LN, Henderson BE, Le Marchand L, Wilkens LR. (2015). Excess Body Weight and Colorectal Cancer Survival: The Multiethnic Cohort. Cancer Causes and Control 26: 1709-18. Sep 10. [Epub ahead of print]. PMCID: 4628582.
- Leo QJN, Ollberding NJ, Wilkens LR, Kolonel LN, Henderson BE, Le Marchand L, Maskarinec G (2015). Nutritional Factors and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Survival in an Ethnically Diverse Population: The Multiethnic Cohort Study. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, September 2, 2015; doi:10.1038/ejcn.2015.139. PMCID: 4562319.
- Morimoto Y, Maskarinec G, Park SY, Ettienne R, Matsuno RK, Long C, Steffen AD, Henderson BE, Kolonel LN, Le Marchand L, Wilkens LR. (2014). Dietary isoflavone intake is not associated with breast cancer risk in the Multiethnic Cohort. British Journal of Nutrition 112:976-83; 23 July. [Epub ahead of print]. PMCID: 4237401.
Recent Grants
- G. Maskarinec, Program Director; J. Hedges, (PI: J. Hedges), P30 CA071789-14S1, University of Hawaii Cancer Center CCSG CURE Supplement. 07/2013 - 06/2017.
- G. Maskarinec, Co-Investigator, (PIs: L. Le Marchand/U. Lim), P01 CA168530, "Obesity, Body Fat Distribution, and Cancer Risk in the Multiethnic Cohort" 09/01/12 - 08/31/17.
- G. Maskarinec, Multiple PI of Education Core, U54 CA143727, "University of Guam/University of Hawaii Cancer Center Partnership Education Core" 09/01/15 – 08/31/20.
Birendra Mishra  , PhD, MS, DVM
Assistant ProfessorDepartment of Human Nutrition, Food & Animal Sciences, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources – University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
Personal Email: bmishra@hawaii.edu
Research Interests
Genetic and hormonal regulation of egg formation in poultry Effects of nutrition and Environmental stress on reproductive health (Poultry and Cattle) Effects of space radiation on reproductive health
Recent Publications
- Mishra B, and Luderer U (2019). Reproductive Hazards of Space Travel in Women and Men Reproduction. Nature Reviews Endocrinology. 154:123–133.
- Mishra B, Sah N, Wasti, S (2019). Genetic and Hormonal Regulation of Egg Formation in the Oviduct of Laying Hens. Poultry, ISBN, 978‐1‐78923‐820‐4.
- Sah N, Kuehu DL, Khadka VS, Deng Y, Peplowska K, Jha R, Mishra B (2018). RNA sequencing-based analysis of the laying hen uterus revealed the novel genes and biological pathways involved in the eggshell mineralization. Scientific Reports 8 (1), 1-12.
Recent Grants
- Improvement of Reproductive efficiency in Hawaiian cattle funded by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (06/1/19-05/30/21)
- Poultry Production Systems and Well-being: Sustainability for Tomorrow funded by USDA/NIFA Multistate Hatch Research Grant (09/1/19-08/30/21)
Current Graduate Students
- Sanjeev Wasti, M.S. in Animal Sciences
- Bindu Adhikari, M.S. in Animal Sciences
- Mahfuz Rahman Adnan, M.S. in Animal Sciences
- Angeline Lee, Biology major/Premed, UH Manoa
Pratibha Nerurkar  , PhD
ProfessorDepartment of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources – University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
Work Email: pratibha@hawaii.edu
Research Interests
Alternative medicine and metabolic disorders
Recent Publications
Rachel Novotny  , PhD RDN LD
Professor and Graduate ChairHuman Nutrition, Food, and Animal Sciences – College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources
Work Phone: 808-956-3848 Work Email: novotny@hawaii.edu
Research Interests
child nutrition, growth, global nutrition, nutritional assessment
Recent Publications
- Novotny R, Yamanaka AB, Dela Cruz R, Strasburger S, Boushey CJ, Butel J, Esquivel M,1 AflagueTF, Fleming T, Coleman P, Deenik J, Shallcross L,Wilkens LR. Food Group, Macronutrient Intake, and Metabolic Status in the US-Affiliated Pacific’s Children’s Healthy Living (CHL) Program. J Nutr, 2022; 152, (12):2898–2912
- Novotny R, Yamanaka A, Butel J, Boushey CJ, Dela Cruz R, Aflague T, Coleman, P, Shallcross L, Fleming T, Wilkens LR. Maintenance Outcomes of the Children’s Healthy Living Program on Overweight, Obesity, and Acanthosis Nigricans Among Young Children in the US-Affiliated Pacific Region: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(6):e2214802.
- Bailey RL, Ard JD, Davis TA, Naimi TS, Schneeman BO, Stang JS, Dewey KG, Donovan SM, Novotny R, Snetselaar LG, de Jesus J, Casavale KO, Pannucci T, Stoody EE. A Proposed Framework for Identifying Nutrients and Food Components of Public Health Relevance in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. J Nutr. 2021 May 11;151(5):1197-1204.
Recent Grants
Food System Resilience for Children’s Healthy Living (CHL Food Systems):A Center of Excellence. The major goal of this project is to develop a CHL Food Systems Model and simulation that will identify and test drivers of resiliency in food supply chains in order to decrease food wastage and increase food and nutrition security, healthful dietary patterns, and healthy body size among children across the US Affiliated Pacific insular area.USDA/NIFA/AFRI Grant 2021-68012-35899 PI Rachel NovotnyCurrent Graduate Students (Chair)
- Pauline McFall, PhD Nutritional Sciences. Child diet in American Samoa. Chair
- Rica Dela Cruz. PhD Public Health. Influences of Childhood Weight Status, Diet, and Physical Activity in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Chair
Jenee Odani  , DVM
Associate Specialist, Extension Veterinarian, Pre-Vet AdvisorDepartment of Human Nutrition, Food & Animal Sciences, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources – University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
Work Email: jsodani@hawaii.edu
Research Interests
Diseases of terrestrial animals & aquatic livestock; veterinary anatomic pathology including disease pathogenesis, disease diagnostic techniques, histology and histopathology.
Recent Publications
- Cadmus, K., Mete, A., Harris, M., Anderson, D., Sato, Y., Helm, J., Boger, L., Odani, J., Ficken, M., Pabilonia, K.1 (2019). Causes of mortality in backyard poultry in eight states in the United States. Journal of Veterinary Diagnostics Investigation, 31(3):318-326.
- Accepted, in press: Odani, J.1, Sox, E., Coleman, W., Jha, R., Malik, R. First documented cases of canine neuroangiostrongyliasis due to Angiostrongylus cantonensis in Hawai‘i. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association.
- Odani JS, Blanchard PC, Adaska JM, Moeller RB, Uzal FA, “Malignant edema in postpartum dairy cattle”, Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation, 2009, November; 21(6):920-924.
May Okihiro  , MD
Department of Pediatric HICORE Director, NPCA Healthcare Task-force ChairJohn A. Burns School of Medicine- University of Hawaii at Manoa
Work Email: okihirom@hawaii.edu
Research Interests
Childhood obesity and early metabolic risk among children in Hawaii, development of obesity and ways to address the issue from clinical and community perspectives.
Recent Publications
- Okihiro, M., Pillen, M., Ancog, C., Inda, C., & Sehgal, V. (2013). Implementing the obesity care model at a community health center in Hawaii to address childhood obesity. Journal of health care for the poor and underserved, 24(2), 1-11.
Caleb C. Reichhardt  , PhD
Assistant ProfessorDepartment of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources – University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
Work Phone: 808-956-7691 Work Email: CCReichh@hawaii.edu
Research Interests
Livestock Management. Skeletal Muscle Growth. Livestock Vitamin and Mineral Supplement Strategies
Recent Publications
- 1. C.C. Reichhardt, J.M. Cuthbert, L.A. Motsinger, R.K. Briggs, T.J. Brady, A.J. Thomas, and K.J. Thornton. 2022. Anabolic implants alter abundance of mRNA involved in muscle growth, metabolism and inflammation in the longissimus of Angus steers in the feedlot. Domestic Animal Endocrinology.
- 2. C.C. Reichhardt, R. Feuz, T.J. Brady, L.A. Motsinger, R.K. Briggs, B.R Bowman, M.D. Garcia, R. Larsen, and K.J. Thornton. 2021. Interactions between cattle breed type and anabolic implant strategy impact circulating serum metabolites, feedlot performance, feeding behavior, carcass characteristics, and economic return in beef steers. Domestic Animal Endocrinology.
- 3. C.C. Reichhardt, A. Ahmadpour, R.G. Christensen, N.E. Ineck, G.K. Murdoch, and K.J. Thornton. 2020. Understanding the influence of trenbolone acetate and polyamines on proliferation of bovine satellite cells. Domestic Animal Endocrinology.
Recent Grants
NSIIC: Evaluating the Use of Injectable Vitamin E and C to Control for Parasites in Sheep Production; 2023-2024
Marie Kainoa Fialkowski Revilla  , PhD RDN LD IBC
Associate ProfessorDepartment of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources – University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
Work Email: mariekf@hawaii.edu
Research Interests
Nutrition and Health in Indigenous Populations, Nutritional Assessment, Nutrition Education for Underserved Populations, Infant Nutrition
Recent Publications
- Fialkowski MK, Kai J, Young C, Langfelder G, Ng-Osorio J, Shao Z, Zhu F, Kerr DA, Boushey CJ. An Active Image-Based Mobile Food Record Is Feasible for Capturing Eating Occasions among Infants Ages 3-12 Months Old in Hawai'i. Nutrients. 2022 Mar 3;14(5):1075. doi: 10.3390/nu14051075. PMID: 35268049; PMCID: PMC8912647.
- Kai J, Chen JJ, Braun KL, Kaholokula JK, Novotny R, Boushey CJ, Fialkowski MK. Associations between Cultural Identity, Household Membership and Diet Quality among Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Filipino Infants in Hawai'i. Children (Basel). 2022 Jan 2;9(1):48. doi: 10.3390/children9010048. PMID: 35053673; PMCID: PMC8774442.
- Fialkowski MK, Ng-Osorio J, Kai J, Swafford K, Langfelder G, Young CGL, Chen JJ, Zhu FM, Boushey CJ. Type, Timing and Diversity of Complementary Foods Among Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Filipino Infants. Hawaii J Health Soc Welf. 2020; 79(5 Suppl 1): 127 – 134.
- Fialkowski MK, Fonseca-Smith T, Pinto POEK, Ng-Osorio J. Native Hawaiian Complementary Feeding Practices as Told by Grandparents: A Transgenerational Experience. Curr Dev Nutr. 2020 May 26;5(Suppl 4):40-53. doi: 10.1093/cdn/nzaa086. PMID: 34222766; PMCID: PMC8242222.
Recent Grants
- U24 CA268228 Boushey (PI); Role: Co-Investigator 1/12/2022-12/31/2026 Traditional and New Dietary Assessment Methods (TANDAM) for Personalized Nutrition
- R01 HD103885 Shepherd (MPI); Role: Co-Investigator 7/1/2021-6/30/2026 Quantifying Pediatric Body Shape in Clinical Research
Andre P. Seale  , PhD
Associate Researcher and ProfessorDepartment of Human Nutrition, Food & Animal Sciences, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources – University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
Work Email: seale@hawaii.edu
Research Interests
The effects of environmental changes on the physiology (I.e. growth, osmoregulation, metabolism and stress) of aquatic organisms with broader implications to aquaculture and biomedical research.
Recent Publications
- Woo, D. W., Malintha, G. H. T., Celino-Brady, F. T., Yamaguchi, Y., Breves, J. P., Seale, A. P. (2022). Tilapia prolactin cells are thermosensitive osmoreceptors. Am. J. Physiol. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.00027.2022.
- Seale, L. A., Gilman, C. L., Zavacki, A. M., Larsen, P. R., Inokuchi, M., Breves, J. P., Seale, A. P. (2021) Regulation of thyroid hormones and branchial iodothyronine deiodinases during freshwater acclimation in tilapia. Mol. Cell. Endocrinol. 538: 111450.
- Inokuchi, M., Moorman, B., Yamaguchi, Y., Seale, A. P. (2021). Age-dependent decline in salinity tolerance in a euryhaline fish. Front. Aging. 2: 15.
- Celino-Brady, F., Lerner, D. T., Seale, A. P. (2021). Experimental Approaches for Characterizing the Endocrine Disrupting Effects of Environmental Chemicals in Fish. Front. Endocrinol. 11:1170
- Seale, A. P., Pavlosky, K. K., Celino-Brady, F., Lerner, D. T. (2020). Sex, salinity and sampling period dependent patterns of growth hormone mRNA expression in Mozambique tilapia. Aquaculture. 519: 734766.
- Seale, A. P., Pavlosky, K. K., Celino-Brady, F., Yamaguchi, Y., Breves, J. P., Lerner, D. T. (2019). Systemic versus tissue-level modulation of prolactin signaling in a euryhaline teleost subjected to tidally changing salinities. J. Comp. Physiol.189, 581-594.
Recent Grants
- 2022-present PI: University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program omnibus grant; “Identifying the physiological responses to extreme environmental changes in native Hawaiian Sea cucumbers found in traditional fishponds”;
- 2019-present Co-PI: Advanced Aquaculture Collaborative Programs (NOAA); “Establishing a Hawaiʻi-Pacific Aquaculture Consortium: A Revitalization and Expansion of the Aquaculture Development Program”.
- 2018-present Co-PI; Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); “Establishing an aquaculture program at the University of Hawai‘i that leverages and integrates Land Grant and Sea Grant research, extension and education resources.
- 2018-present PI; National Science Foundation (IOS-1755016); “Collaborative Research: Identifying osmosensitive molecular targets using a unique vertebrate model”.
- 2017-2021 PI; National Institutes of Health (1R21DK111775-01); “Integrating Osmosensitivity and Autocrine Signaling in a Model for Osmoregulation”.
Current Graduate Students
- Tharindu Malintha (PhD, Nutritional Sciences), Environmental regulation of transcription factors in fish.
- Ryan Chang (MS, Animal Science), Effects of salinity on the stress response in fish.
- Tyler Goodearly (PhD, Nutritional Sciences), Environmental physiology of Sea Cucumbers.
- Reilly Merlo (MS, Animal Science), Effects of salinity on fish nutrition.
John A Shepherd  , PhD
Researcher R5Population Sciences in the Pacific Program (Cancer Epidemiology), University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center
Work Email: johnshep@hawaii.edu
Research Interests
Dr. Shepherd has a 30-year background in quantitative imaging. Most of his academic research involves developing novel biomarkers for a variety of imaging modalities including dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) scan for bone density and body composition, mammography for breast density and tissue textural measures as risk factors for breast cancer, and 3-D optical whole body scanning for quantifying body shape as a risk factor for metabolic diseases. Using these modalities, he uses advanced statistical methods to extract more information from images. The methods include principal component analysis, shape and appearance modeling, deep learning, and artificial intelligence approaches. While at UCSF he accumulated over 4 million mammograms for the study of breast cancer risk from imaging and was one of the first to show that volumetric breast density measures are a stronger risk predictor than areal density measures. His active research questions include the following: • Can deep learning models for reading mammograms reduce recall rates and unnecessary biopsies for women of the Pacific region? • What is the best way to describe frailty and function using quantitative composition measures? • Can 3-D optical scans of the whole body accurately and precisely quantify body composition and other health risk factors, and improve compliance of nutrition and exercise interventions? He also holds four patents in quantitative imaging. His group has been expert consultants for the NHANES study DXA component for 20 years. He has published over 150 peer-reviewed papers, is a Fulbright Scholar, and a past president of the International Society for Clinical Densitometry.
Recent Publications
Wong, MC., Ng, BK, Kennedy, SF, Hwaung, P, Liu, EY, Kelly, NN, Pagano, IS, Garber, AK, Chow, DC, Heymsfield, SB, Shepherd, JA. (2019). Children and Adolescents’ Anthropometrics Body Composition from 3‐D Optical Surface Scans. Obesity, 27: 1738-1749. doi:10.1002/oby.22637.- Ng BK, Sommer MJ, Wong MC, Pagano I, Nie Y, Fan B, Kennedy S, Bourgeois B, Kelly N, Liu YE, Hwaung P, Garber AK, Chow D, Vaisse C, Curless B, Heymsfield SB, Shepherd JA. (2019). Detailed 3-dimensional body shape features predict body composition, blood metabolites, and functional strength: the Shape Up! studies. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition; Dec 1;110(6):1316-1326. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqz218. PubMed PMID: 31553429; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6885475.
- Drukker K, Giger ML, Joe BN, Kerlikowske K, Greenwood H, Drukteinis JS, Niell B, Fan B, Malkov S, Avila J, Kazemi L, Shepherd J. (2019). Combined Benefit of Quantitative Three-Compartment Breast Image Analysis and Mammography Radiomics in the Classification of Breast Masses in a Clinical Data Set. Radiology; Mar;290(3):621-628. doi: 10.1148/radiol.2018180608. Epub 2018 Dec 11. PubMed PMID: 30526359; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6394732.
- Ng BK, Liu YE, Wang W, Kelly TL, Wilson KE, Schoeller DA, Heymsfield SB, Shepherd JA. (2018). Validation of rapid 4-component body composition assessment with the use of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and bioelectrical impedance analysis. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition; Oct 1;108(4):708-715. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqy158. PubMed PMID: 30099474.
- Shepherd JA, Sommer MJ, Fan B, Powers C, Stranix-Chibanda L, Zadzilka A, Basar M, George K, Mukwasi-Kahari C, Siberry G. Advanced Analysis Techniques Improve Infant Bone and Body Composition Measures by Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry. J Pediatr. 2017 Feb;181:248-253.e3. PMCID: PMC5274603.
- Shepherd JA, Ng BK, Sommer MJ, Heymsfield SB. Body composition by DXA. Bone. 2017 Nov;104:101–105. PMCID: PMC5659281.
- Shepherd JA, Ng BK, Fan B, Schwartz AV, Cawthon P, Cummings SR, Kritchevsky S, Nevitt M, Santanasto A, Cootes TF. Modeling the shape and composition of the human body using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry images. PLoS One. 2017;12(4):e0175857. PMCID: PMC5397033.
- Shepherd JA, Fan B, Lu Y, Wu XP, Wacker WK, Ergun DL, Levine MA. A multinational study to develop universal standardization of whole-body bone density and composition using GE Healthcare Lunar and Hologic DXA systems. J Bone Miner Res. 2012 Oct;27(10):2208–2216. PMID: 22623101.
Recent Grants
- "DXA Scan Analysist and Quality Control Review for NHANES 2018-2022"
- Shepherd, PI - Funded through NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) 2018 – 2022
- “Shape up! Kids” J.A. Shepherd and Steven Heymsfield, Co- PIs Funded by the NIH/NIDDK 01/20/2017 – 12/31/2021
- “Optical Body Composition and Health Assessment” J.A. Shepherd and Steven Heymsfield, Co- PIs - Funded by the NIH/NIDDK 05/15/2016 – 04/30/2021
- "Deep Learning and Total Body DXA Scans (The TBDXA.I. Project)"
- Shepherd and Steve Cummings, Co-PIs - Funded by Sutter Health/California Medical Center Research Institute 2019 – 2020
- "DXA Body Composition and Bone Mineral Density Review and Analyses for HANDLS"
- Shepherd, Project Investigator - Funded through HANDLS (Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span) 2019 – 2020
- "Space-Feasible Body Composition and Body Shape Analysis for Long Duration Missions (Astro3DO)"
- Shepherd and Peter Sadowski, Co-PIs - Funded by TRISH (Translational Research Institute for Space Health) 2019 – 2020
- "IMPAACT 2009 & 2010"
- Shepherd, Project Investigator; Sharon Nachman, PI - Funded through the LOC-IMPAACT Leadership Group 2006 – 2020
Current Graduate Students
Jonathan Bennett, PhD in Nutrition at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (Chair) Thesis: Assessment of Hydration via Five Compartment Body Composition Methods 2019 – Present Dustin Valdez, PhD in Nutrition at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (Chair) Thesis: Evaluating Portable Breast Cancer Screening Technology for Women in the Pacific 2019 – Present Michael Wong, PhD in Nutrition at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (Chair) Thesis: Using 3D Optical Body Shape to Determine Various Health Indices 2018 – Present Lambert Leong, PhD in Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (Chair) Thesis: Using machine learning and deep learning to reduce the burden of cancer in Hawai‘i and the Pacific 2019 – Present Devon Cataldi, PhD in Kinesiology at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (Chair) Thesis: 4-Component Body Composition Models with Varying Body Fatness and Hydration: The Dakine Study 2019 – Present Past Graduate Students Michael Omori, MS in Information and Computer Sciences at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (Mentor) Thesis: The Development of a Body Composition Imaging System Using 3D Depth Sensors Utilizing Machine Learning for Testing in Microgravity Simulations 2019 – 2020 Current Position: Software Engineer, Oceanit Rosa Consuelo Villegas Valle, PhD in Nutrition at the University of Sonora, Mexico (Chair) Thesis: Tejido Adiposo Visceral (TAV) en Adultos Hispanos y su Relación con Alteraciones Cardiometabólicas 2013 – 2020 Current Position: Assistant Professor, University of Sonora Shane Spencer, MS in Electrical Engineering at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (Chair) Thesis: Applications of Deep Learning Techniques in the Systematic Melanoma Assessment and Risk Triaging (SMART) Pilot Study 2018 – 2020 Current Position: Data Scientist/Software Engineer, DB Engineering, Inc. Caylin Van Hook, PhD in Bioengineering at UC Berkeley/UC San Francisco (Rotation Advisor/Mentor) 2017 – 2017 Current Position: Graduate Student Michaela Piel, MS in Biomedical Imaging at UC San Francisco (Advisor/Mentor) Thesis: Prediction of DXA whole body scan data from 3D optical 2017 – 2017 Current Position: PET/CT TEchnologist, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) Dylan Lowe, PhD in Biological and Biomedical Sciences at UC San Francisco (Advisor/Mentor) Thesis: Energy Intake From Expellant 2016 – 2017 Current Position: Graduate Student; Clinical Consultant, Key Eats Roman Camarda, PhD in Biomedical Sciences, UC San Francisco (Advisor/Mentor) Thesis: Energy Intake From Expellant 2016 – 2017 Current Position: Graduate Student, Goga Lab Cynthia Kahari, PhD in Radiography at the University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe (Research Mentor) 2016 – Present Current Position: PhD Student Lisa Kotowski, MS in Physics at San Francisco State University (Chair) 2014 – 2018 Current Position: Founder, Body Composition Systems, LLC Benjamin Hinton, PhD in Bioengineering at UC Berkeley/UC San Francisco (Rotation Advisor – 2014, Dissertation Mentor – 2015-2018, Chair) 2014 – 2018 Current Position: Senior Algorithm Engineer, Abbott Jesus Avila, PhD in Bioengineering at UC Berkeley/UC San Francisco (Rotation Advisor – 2014, Dissertation Mentor – 2015-2018, Chair) 2014 – 2018 Current Position: Data & Computer Vision Engineer, Genentech Bennett Ng, PhD in Bioengineering at UC Berkeley/UC San Francisco (Rotation Advisor – 2014, Dissertation Mentor – 2014-2018, Chair) 2014 – 2018 Current Position: Research Scientist, Intel Fredrik Strand, PhD in Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm Sweden (Mentor) 2013 – 2018 Current Position: Radiologist, Karolinska Hospital Johan Kalvesten, PhD in the Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linkoping University, Linkoping Sweden (External Opponent/Committee Member) 2015 – 2015 Current Position: Graduate Student Ronald Dendere, PhD in Bioengineering, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa (External Referee) 2014 – 2014 Current Position: Graduate Student Admire Zanga, MS at the College of Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare Zimbabwe (External MS Thesis Advisor) 2013 – 2013 Current Position: Graduate Student Bowen Xie, BS in Bioengineering at UC Berkeley (Advisor/Mentor) 2013 – 2013 Current Position: Surgery Resident at UPMC Paul Keselman, PhD in Bioengineering at UC Berkeley/UC San Francisco (Rotation Advisor/Mentor) 2011 – 2011 Current Position: Senior Scientist, Hoglund Brain Imaging Center – KUMC Paul Johnson, PhD in Bioengineering at UC Berkeley/UC San Francisco (Rotation Advisor/Mentor) 2011 – 2011 Current Position: Senior Display Color & Vision Engineer, Apple Cynthia Mukwasi, MS at the College of Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe (External MS Thesis Advisor) 2010 – 2015 Current Position: Graduate Student Joseph Wilson, PhD in Bioenginering at UC Berkeley/UC San Francisco (Primary Advisor/Mentor) 2010 – 2015 Current Position: Principal Consultant, American Institutes for Research
Mark S. Thorne  , Ph.D.
Specialist, Range and Livestock ExtensionDepartment of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources – University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
Work Phone: 808-887-6183 Work Email: thornem@hawaii.edu
Research Interests
Livestock nutrition and grazing behavior, livestock grazing management, and rangeland ecology
Recent Publications
- Adhikari, B., C.N. Lee, V.S. Khadka, Y. Deng, G. Fukumoto, M. Thorne, K, Caires, J. Odani, and B. Mishra. 2022. RNA-Sequencing based analysis of bovine endometrium during the maternal recognition of pregnancy. BMC Genonics. 23:494 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-022-08720-4
- Krushelnycky, P.D., F. Starr, K. Starr, M. Abran, M. Thorne, J. Leary, M. Fukada, D. Rubinoff. 2018. Performance of the biocontrol agent Secusio extensa (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) on its target host, Senecio madagascariensis (Madagascar fireweed), on an alternate host, Delairea odorata (Cape ivy), and on non-target plants, in Hawaii. Biological Control 121: 234-246. (25% contribution, research support, manuscript review and edit).
- Lee, C.N., G.K. Fukumoto, M.S. Thorne, M.H. Stevenson, Y.S. Kim, M. Nakahata, and R.M. Ogoshi. 2017. Nutrient Composition of Sugarcane Forages were influenced by season and the time of harvest. Dairy and Vet. Sci. J. 2(1): 555579.
Recent Grants
- Thorne, M.S. (PI). 2021 – 2026. Evaluating Production and Nutrient Cycling of Grazing Management Systems in Hawaiian Forests and Pastures. USDA-CSREES, McIntire-Stennis (Internal). Funded. $125,000. 10/2021- 09/2026.
- Price, M. K. Steensma, S. Shwiff, K. Caires, M. Thorne (co-PI), D. Risch. 2022 – 2025. Wildlife Impacts on Agroecosystems and Culture: Achieving integrated pest management of invasive ungulates in Hawaii. USDA-NIFA, WSARE. Funded. $350,000. 4/2022 – 3/2025.
- Thorne, M.S. (PI), and M. Wright. 2021 – 2024. Detection and Management Strategies for the Control of Prosapia bicincta (Twolined Spittlebug) in Hawaii. Hawaii Dept. of Land and Natural Resources-HISC. Funded. $352,488. 10/2021 – 03/2024.
Current Graduate Students
- Brittany Castle (PhD Nutrition). Influence of Gastrointestinal Parasite Burden on Bioactive Forage Selection by Goats.
Lynne Wilkens  , DrPH, MS
Co-Director, Biostat and Informatics Shared ResourceUniversity of Hawai‘i Cancer Center- University of Hawaii at Manoa
Work Email: lynne@cc.hawaii.edu
Research Interests
Methodological research that extends statistical techniques of relevance to our research, techniques for studying disease associations when the independent variables are measured with error and ethical/racial classification.
Recent Publications
- Wang H, Schmit SL, Haiman CA, Keku TO, Kato I, Palmer JR, van den Berg D, Wilkens LR, Burnett T, Conti DV, Schumacher FR, Signorello LB, Blot WJ, Zanetti KA, Harris C, Pande M, Berndt SI, Newcomb PA, West DW, Haile R, Stram DO, Figueiredo JC, Le Marchand L. Hispanic Colorectal Cancer Study. Novel colon cancer susceptibility variants identified from a genome-wide association study in African Americans. Int J Cancer. 2017 Mar 13. doi: 10.1002/ijc.30687. [Epub ahead of print]
- Harmon BE, Wirth MD, Boushey CJ, Wilkens LR, Draluck E, Shivappa N, Steck SE, Hofseth L, Haiman CA, Le Marchand L, Hébert JR. The Dietary Inflammatory Index Is Associated with Colorectal Cancer Risk in the Multiethnic Cohort. J Nutr. 2017 Mar;147(3):430-438. doi: 10.3945/jn.116.242529.
- Conroy SM, Clarke C, Yang J, Shariff-Marco S, Shvetsov YB, Park SY, Albright CL, Hertz A, Monroe KR, Kolonel LN, Le Marchand L, Wilkens LR, Gomez SL, Cheng I. Contextual impact of neighborhood obesogenic factors on postmenopausal breast cancer: The Multiethnic Cohort. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2017 Jan 31. pii: cebp.0941.2016. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-16-0941. [Epub ahead of print]
Jinzeng Yang  , PhD
ProfessorDepartment of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources – University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
Work Email: jinzeng@hawaii.edu
Research Interests
1) Myostatin gene, skeletal muscle, physical activities, diet, obesity and diabetes prevention, 2) DNA-based genetics program in livestock animal and aquatic species
Recent Publications
- Fu B, Yang J, Yang Y, Xia J, He Y, Wang Q, Zhao H, Yang H. 2022. Enhanced Muscle Fibers of Epinephelus coioides by Myostatin Autologous Nucleic Acid Vaccine. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 23(13):6997. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23136997
- Gu H, Zhou Y, Yang J, Li J, Peng Y, Zhang X, Miao Y, Jiang W, Bu G, Hou L, Li T, Zhang L, Xia X, Ma Z, Xiong Y, Zuo B. 2021.Targeted overexpression of PPARγ in skeletal muscle by random insertion and CRISPR/Cas9 transgenic pig cloning enhances oxidative fiber formation and intramuscular fat deposition. FASEB J. 35(2):e21308. doi: 10.1096/fj.202001812RR
- Li B, Cui W, Yang J. 2020. Enhanced skeletal muscle growth in myostatin-deficient transgenic pigs had improved glucose uptake in stretozotocin -induced diabetes. Trans-genic Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11248-020-00194-y
- Yang J, 2014. Enhanced skeletal muscle for effective glucose homeostasis. Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science 121:133-63
Recent Grants
- Target Disruption of fish PGC for enhanced growth, USDA-CTSA, 2021-Present
- Nutrient Bioavailability-Phytonutrients and Beyond, USDA-Hatch, 2019-present
- Post-harvest food technology and nutrition/ Bioactive Compound. USDA, 2019-present
Current Graduate Students
- Brock Wetzlich, MS in MBBE