Faculty and Staff - Peggy Callaghan Papathakis, PhD, RD

Expertise: Clinical/Maternal and Child/Global Nutrition

Education
PhD University of California, Davis. Nutritional Biology - International Nutrition, 2005
MS University of California, Davis. Nutrition, 2000
BS California Polytechnic State University. Dietetics/Food Administration, 1977

Background
Since Dr. Papathakis, Professor of Nutrition, came to Cal Poly in 2006, one of her aims was to engage in nutrition research in developing countries and to provide global nutrition experiences for students in the classroom and in the “field”.

Recent year teaching assignments
Maternal and Child Nutrition (FSN 310)
Community Nutrition (FSN 416)
Clinical Nutrition I (FSN 429)
Clinical Nutrition II (FSN 430)

Research and professional interests
International nutrition: body composition and micronutrients in infectious diseases; Maternal and Child Nutrition; Public and Community Nutrition

Current Research
My current research is focused on identifying ways to support appropriate weight gain and to optimize birth weight in moderately malnourished pregnant women in Africa. Other work includes systematic reviews of literature on combined impact of pregnancy/lactation and malnutrition in HIV infected women on maternal and infant outcomes; meta-analysis of resting energy expenditure in HIV-infected persons; diet and infant/young child feeding practices and their effect on the development of overweight and obesity in low income Latino populations in the central Coast (CA)

This research provides Cal Poly undergraduate nutrition students’ classroom exposure to nutrition assessment methods and treatments used in a developing country setting, and provided nutrition graduates with an in-country experiences.   Dr. Papathakis has facilitated 3-month nutrition research experiences in Africa for >25 Cal Poly nutrition graduates and has engaged at least 30 undergraduate students on campus in multiple research projects in addition to directly supervising thesis-based graduate students. 

Graduate Students
Current and Former Graduate Students