Biography
Dr. Guest received a B.S. degree in Nutrition (2001) from California Polytechnic State University. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Nutritional Sciences (2009) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Following her PhD degree she completed a 2-year post-doctoral fellowship in Kinesiology and Exercise Physiology at UIUC and Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.
Personal Statement
My transition from laboratory-based research in graduate school to a desire to work directly with communities has provided me with a diverse background of community-based research—spanning many cultures and four states: Illinois, California, Alaska, and New Mexico. I have designed and led mixed-methods research studies in pain management, women’s health, body composition, and fatigue in breast cancer survivors and patients with Parkinson’s disease. This research gave me invaluable direct experience working with culturally and ethnically diverse groups, including Alaska Natives and Native Americans. My research projects have focused on lifestyle influences in combination with genetic variability on disease development, recovery, and subsequent quality of life. My current work is focused on improving nutrition care and intervention opportunities for cancer patients and survivors in outpatient and community settings.
Areas of Specialty
Nutritional Science
Nutrition Assessment in Research
Mixed Methods Research
Cancer Care Delivery Research
Certifications
Commission on Dietetic Registration: Registered Dietitian (RD), 2009-present
Achievements & Awards
Outstanding Dietitian of the Year, New Mexico Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 2021
Dean's Staff Award, SOM UNM, 2017
Eleanor Ison Franklin Fellow, Porter Physiology Fellowship Continuation Award, American Physiological Society, 2008-2009
Cadbury-Schweppes/ASN Predoctoral Fellow, American Society for Nutrition, 2008
Porter Physiology Fellowship Award, American Physiological Society, 2007-2008
Gender
Female
Languages
- English