Sheila BarrettAssistant Professor,
Nutrition and Dietetics,
Northern Illinois University,
USA
Biography
Currently an Assistant Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics at Northern Illinois University. I was a LASPAU- Fulbright Scholar (Latin American Scholarship Program for American Universities), completed my M.S. at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville TN. I pursued a PhD in Nutrition and Dietetics at Florida International University in Miami, FL. During my years as a lecturer at Mico College, Kingston, Jamaica I supervised on an average, over 20 research projects each academic year. At the same time, I moderated and supervised theses for the University of Technology, Kingston, Jamaica. For my dissertation, I conducted a study on 276 Jamaican adolescents, examining them for risk factors of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. I have 6 publications from my dissertation, 1 submitted for publication, 5 published abstracts, my masters? thesis, co-authored and published a journal article with my major professor from UTK and I am currently writing 2 more manuscripts.
Research Interest
My research interests are in adolescent obesity and related risk factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. I have validated a tool for estimating food intakes of high school students who participate in the National school Lunch Program, prepared one manuscript for publication, and presented the results at FASEB conference April 2015 in Boston MA. New research plans include; examine the relationship of diet quality of school meals to risk factors of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in children and adolescents ages 12-19. Conduct intervention for a diabetes self-management class for home bound elderly diabetics.