I am a nutritional epidemiologist by training and focus broadly on diet and chronic disease linkages. My areas of research include: (1) dietary assessment methodologies in diverse populations; (2) studying the role of diet in the risk for chronic diseases in minority populations in the U.S.; and (3) understanding the role of dietary factors in age-related functional declines.
My goal through the MASALA study is to understand the reasons for health disparities experienced by South Asians with respect to diabetes and heart disease. To this end, my research focuses on: 1) the associations of acculturation and length of residence in the U.S. with diet and nutrient intakes, and 2) associations of lifestyle related behaviors and health factors with subclinical atherosclerosis in the cohort.