Research Projects & Grants

College/University

• Vegetarian Diets and Risk of Recurrent Female Urinary Tract Infections, Role: PI, Stanford University, (09/2023) Status: Approved
• Heart Failure Progression and Diet: Racial Disparities, Role: PD/PI, Charles R. Drew University, (05/2018 - 02/2022) Status: Closed

Federal

• Cancer epidemiology in Adventists - a low risk group, Role: PI, National Cancer Institute/NIH/DHHS, (07/2024 - 07/2025) Status: Approved
• Biological and psychosocial manifestations of religion, Role: Investigator, National Institutes of Health/DHHS, (01/2024 - 01/2025) Status: Approved
• Influence of Dietary Pattern and Race on Metabolic and Epigenetic Alterations Associated with Cancer Development, Role: Other Significant Contributor, National Institutes of Health/DHHS, (09/2020 - 04/2024) Status: Awarded
• Improving quality of life after diagnosis and treatment, Role: PI, National Cancer Institute/NIH/DHHS, (10/2019 - 10/2020) Status: Completed
• High Throughput DNA Sequencer, Role: Major User, National Institutes of Health/DHHS, (04/2015 - 04/2016) Status: Closed
• Barriers to participation in health research in Black Americans, Role: PI, National Institutes of Health/DHHS, (03/2013 - 03/2014) Status: Completed
• Plant-based diets and risk of cancer, Role: PD/PI, National Institutes of Health/DHHS, (09/2011 - 08/2017) Status: Closed
• Evaluation of community gardens project, Role: Investigator, United States Department of Agriculture, (09/2011 - 09/2012) Status: Completed
• Urinary cortisol assessment for biosychosocial religion and health study, Role: Co-PD/PI, United States Department of Agriculture, (06/2011 - 05/2012) Status: Closed
• Assays to assess allostatic load in the Biological Manifestations of Religion Study, Role: Co-Investigator, United States Department of Agriculture, (01/2011 - 05/2012) Status: Closed
• Nutrition, Diet, and Lifestyle Research for Longevity and Health Aging, Role: Principal Investigator, United States Department of Agriculture, (06/2010 - 05/2012) Status: Closed
• Cancer Epidemiology in Adventists - A Low Risk Group, National Institutes of Health/DHHS, (07/2007 - 12/2008) Status: Closed
• Cancer Epidemiology in Adventists - A Low Risk Group, Role: Principal Investigator, National Institutes of Health/DHHS, (07/2006 - 06/2007) Status: Closed
• Biological and Psychosocial Manifestations of Religion, Role: PD/PI, National Institute on Aging/NIH/DHHS, (09/2005 - 07/2011) Status: Closed
• Impact of Vitamin D on heart disease and total mortality, National Institutes of Health/DHHS, (08/2005 - 11/2009) Status: Closed
• Cancer Epidemiology in Adventists - A Low Risk Group, Role: Principal Investigator, National Institutes of Health/DHHS, (07/2005 - 12/2008) Status: Closed
• Cancer Epidemiology in Adventists - A Low Risk Group, National Cancer Institute/NIH/DHHS, (07/2004 - 06/2005) Status: Closed
• Cancer Epidemiology in Adventists - A Low Risk Group (Minority Supplement), National Cancer Institute/NIH/DHHS, (05/2004 - 06/2004) Status: Closed
• Cancer Epidemiology in Adventists - A Low Risk Group, National Cancer Institute/NIH/DHHS, (07/2003 - 06/2004) Status: Closed
• Cancer Epidemiology in Adventists - A Low Risk Group, National Cancer Institute/NIH/DHHS, (09/2002 - 06/2003) Status: Closed
• ****Cancer Epidemiology in Adventists--A Low Risk Group, Role: PI, National Cancer Institute/NIH/DHHS, (07/1997 - 07/1998) Status: Completed

For Profit Organization

• The effect of LDL-Cholesterol lowering beyond currently recommended minimum targets on coronary heart disease recurrence in patients with pre-existing CHD. (TNT Study) Protocol #981-117/258-102, version 02/25/98, Role: PI, Parke-Davis Pharmaceuticals, (08/2004 - 08/2005) Status: Completed
• A 54-week open label assessment of the safety and efficacy profile of Atorvastatin as compared to Fluvastatin, Lovastatin, Simvastatin, and Pravastatin when used to optimally control primary hypercholesterolemia (Type IIA) and mixed dyslipidemia (Type IIB), Role: PI, Parke-Davis Pharmaceuticals, (03/1998 - 03/1999) Status: Completed

Internal

• The microbiome in AHS-2: feasibility and dietary associations, Role: Investigator, LLU Center for Nutrition, Healthy Lifestyles, and Disease Prevention, (04/2024 - 03/2025) Status: Approved
• Adventist pastors health study, Role: PI, LLU Center for Nutrition, Healthy Lifestyles, and Disease Prevention, (01/2024 - 01/2025) Status: Approved
• The impact of bariatric surgery on periodontal health, Role: Consultant, LLU - GRASP, (01/2024 - 12/2025) Status: Awarded
• Impact of Vitamin Bl2 Status on Very long chain Fatty Acid Conversion, Role: PI, LLU Dept. of Nutrition, (08/2023) Status: Approved
• The Association Between Ischemia and No Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease (INOCA) and Coronary Artery Calcium Score, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Medicine, (09/2022) Status: Approved
• Measuring blood flow characteristics using dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Radiology, (03/2022 - 03/2023) Status: Completed
• Inflammatory responses associated with N-glycolylneuraminic acid comparing vegetarian and nonvegetarian dietary patterns of participants in the Adventist Health Study-2, Role: Other Significant Contributor, LLU, (01/2018 - 12/2023) Status: Closed
• The effect of aging and dietary pattern on blood-brain barrier integrity, Role: Co-Investigator, LLU - GRASP, (06/2016 - 12/2021) Status: Closed
• Dietary Patterns and Cognitive Dysfunction in the Aged: Adventist Health Study-2, Role: Co-PD/PI, LLU - GRASP, (05/2015 - 10/2018) Status: Closed
• The Microbiome in AHS-2: Feasibility and Dietary Associations, Role: Co-Investigator, LLU Center for Health Research, (03/2015 - 03/2017) Status: Closed
• Association between dietary factors & subclinical CHF, A feasibility Study of AHS-2 subjects, Role: Co-Investigator, LLU School of Public Health, (03/2013 - 09/2014) Status: Closed
• Correlates of soy food consumption in Adventist health study - 2, Role: Investigator, LLU School of Public Health, (04/2011 - 04/2012) Status: Completed
• Enumeration of special foods eaten by Black Adventists in the south and east, Role: PI, LLU Dept. of Epidemiology/Biostatistics, (04/2006 - 04/2007) Status: Completed
• Cancer epidemiology in Adventists - a low risk group. Pretesting., Role: PI, LLU Center for Health Research, (12/1999 - 12/2000) Status: Completed

Non-Profit Organization

• Almond Consumption and Risk of Cancer in the Adventist Health Study, Role: Co-Investigator, Almond Board of California, (06/2024 - 07/2025) Status: Awarded
• Ardmore AHS-2, Role: PD/PI, Ardmore Institute of Health, (01/2021 - 12/2021) Status: Awarded
• Adventist Health Study: The Next Generation in Transformational Health Knowledge, Role: PD/PI, Ardmore Institute of Health, (01/2019 - 01/2024) Status: Closed
• Associations Between Soy Consumption & TSH Levels, Role: Principal Investigator, Soy Nutrition Institute, (09/2011 - 02/2013) Status: Closed
• Dairy, Meat, Linolenic Acid and Soy Consumption as Risk Factors for Prostate, Colorectal, and Breast Cancer in a Cohort with a Wide Range of Dietary Habits: Adventist Health Study-2 (AHS-2), Role: Principal Investigator, World Cancer Research Fund, (03/2010 - 03/2015) Status: Closed