Fatma G Huffman

I entered the field of nutrition after a career as an analytical chemist in the pharmaceutical industry. Most of the drugs manufactured were for persons with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes. I realized that lifestyle factors and the obesity epidemic were contributing factors to the rise in chronic diseases across populations. My research focus to find enablers of diet and physical activity behavior change in an effort to prevent medical conditions and improve health outcomes in various populations: children, older adults, persons with type 2 diabetes, and comparison of race/ethnicity. Currently my research team is engaged in the ongoing development of culturally-tailored interventions to improve health outcomes in Hispanic, older adults. We are currently writing manuscripts from focus group data gathered from an NIA grant to PIs from three universities in northern, western, and south Florida, where I am a co-investigator. Visit my webpage on the Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Dietetics and Nutrition, Faculty webpage: https://stempel.fiu.edu/faculty/joan-a-vaccaro/