Diabetes, Nutrition and Obesity
The World Health Organization has identified the incidence of overweight and obesity as a top concern worldwide. In 2022, 2.5 billion adults aged 18 years and older were overweight (defined as having a BMI of 25 or above). Alarmingly, about 16% of adults aged 18 years and older worldwide were obese that same year (obesity is defined as having a BMI of 30 or above). The worldwide prevalence of obesity more than doubled between 1990 and 2022. The WHO's global strategy on diet, physical activity and health reveals the key drivers of obesity, as well as clinical interventions to address the issue, including dietary and lifestyle changes ().
Faculty researchers in the College of Health Sciences investigating diabetes, nutrition and obesity are contributing to the body of knowledge within these fields, and have many specializations including lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity; nutrition and chronic disease prevention; nutrition for special populations; and obesity and energy balance. Additionally, CHS is home to the Diabetes Garage, a unique nationally recognized diabetes prevention initiative targeting Hispanic men.
CHS Leaders in Diabetes, Nutrition and Obesity Studies
Dr. Sudip Bajpeyi
Professor of Kinesiology
J. Edward and Helen M.C. Stern Endowed Professor in Neuroscience
Director, MiNER Laboratory
sbajpeyi@utep.edu
Specialization: Insulin resistance; obesity; Type 2 Diabetes; intramyocellular lipids; mitochondrial bioenergetics; lipid metabolism
Dr. Ximena Burgos
Assistant Professor of Practice, Public Health Sciences
xburgos@utep.edu
Specialization: Nutrition through the life cycle; chronic disease prevention; nutritional epidemiology
Dr. Jeannie Concha
Associate Professor of Public Health
jeannie@utep.edu
Specialization: Hispanic disparities in diabetes
Dr. Bruce Friedman
Professor of Social Work
bdfriedman@utep.edu
Specialization: Culture in childhood diabetes;, role of culture and poverty in obesity; senior nutrition
Dr. Maria Duarte
Professor of Public Health
Chair, Public Health Sciences
moduarte@utep.edu
Specialization: Nutrition and chronic disease prevention; gestational diabetes
Dr. Thenral Mangadu
Professor of Public Health
Peter de Wetter Endowed Professor in Health Sciences
tmangadu@utep.edu
Specialization: Nutrition in special populations
Dr. alfonso rojas alvarez
Assistant Professor of Public Health
ajrojasalvarez@utep.edu
Specialization: Health disparities, chronic disease (diabetes)
Dr. Jennifer Salinas
Associate Professor of Social Work
jsalinas7@utep.edu
Specialization: Cancer and diabetes prevention in Hispanic populations, obesity
Dr. Gregory Schober
Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation Sciences
gschober@utep.edu
Specialization: Health disparities among patients with diabetes in the U.S.-Mexico border region
