- MS Student
- Department of Nutrition, Oaks Lab
- Email: kelly_zarka@uri.edu
Program
M.S. Nutrition
Lab
Oaks Lab
Courses- Teaching Assistant
- BIO 223: Anatomy & Physiology Lab II
Biography
Kelly’s professional interests revolve around nutrition and its role in disease, as well as the general pathophysiology of disease conditions and how these may differ in sub-groups of a population. This is Kelly’s second year working in the Oaks pregnancy and nutrition lab, after gaining her B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics in 2022 at URI. With this background, she plans to enter into the medical field via the Physician Associate role of the healthcare team. She enjoys taking/teaching cycling classes, reading, and traveling.
Research
Kelly’s thesis topic revolves around potential associations between postpartum depressive symptoms and essential fatty acid status in Ghanian women as a component of the longitudinal iLiNS study defined and lead by Dr. Oaks and researchers at UC Davis.
Education
- M.S. Nutrition, University of Rhode Island 2022-present
- B.S. Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Rhode Island, 2022