Rebecca Stoltzfus
Professor & PIN Co-Director
2009
HENutrSciWeb Bio Page
Current Activities
Current Professional Activities
- Program Advisory Committee, Helen Keller International, 2007-present.
- Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study, Expert Group Core Member in the Child Nutrition Expert Group, 2008—present
- Advisory Board member, "Improving maternal, neonatal and child health outcomes through better designed nutrition policies and programs", a project of Emory University, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 2010-2011
- Invited Member, WHO Nutrition Guidance Expert Advisory Group (NUGAG) which the WHO Department of Nutrition for Health and Development (NHD) is constituting for the WHO guidelines development in 2010 - 2011
- Invited participant, "Promoting Healthy Growth: The implications of shifting global efforts from underweight to linear growth and stunting," a meeting of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. March 2010.
Current Research Activities
The goal of my research program to improve the health and well being of women and children in low-income communities by improving their nutritional status. Current major research projects include:
- Development and evaluation of strategies to support infant feeding for babies of HIV-infected mothers in Haiti (in collaboration with GHESKIO Centers).
- EBF Tozodii (Exclusive breastfeeding, and then what?), a nutrition and sanitation intervention for HIV-exposed infants in rural Zimbabwe (in collaboration with ZVITAMBO Project, Harare Zimbabwe, and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health).
- Sanitation & hygiene and nutrition interventions: effect on tropical enteropathy and growth in young children in rural Zimbabwe. A cluster-randomized factorial trial. (in collaboration with ZVITAMBO Project, Harare Zimbabwe, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Mcgill University).
- Iron status, anemia, and HIV infection in Zimbabwean mothers and babies (in collaboration with the ZVITAMBO Project, Harare Zimbabwe, and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health).
- Critical assessment of the sustainability of community-based programs to improve child nutrition in Peru (in collaboration with the International Nutrition Institute, Peru).
Biography
Biographical Statement
Rebecca Stoltzfus holds a Ph.D.in Human nutrition from Cornell University (1992) and a B.A. in Chemistry from Goshen College (1984). From 1992-2002, she was assistant and then associate professor in the Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she continues to hold an adjunct appointment. She joined the Division of Nutritional Sciences in 2002 as an associate professor and was promoted to professor in 2005.
Her research focuses on the causes and consequences of malnutrition in women and children in developing countries. She currently directs the Program in International Nutrition, and directs Cornell's Global Health Program on the Ithaca campus.
Education
Ph.D. 1992 - Cornell University, Human Nutrition
M.S. 1988 - Cornell University, Human Nutrition
B.A. 1984 - Goshen College, Chemistry
Administrative Responsibilities
Director, Program in International Nutrition
Director, Global Health Program, Ithaca campus
Keywords
Nutrition
Global Health
Pregnancy
Pediatrics
HIV
Africa
Zimbabwe
Tanzania
Haiti
Courses, Websites, Pubs
Courses Taught
NS 3060 Nutrition Problems in Developing Nations
NS 2060 Introduction to Global Health
NS 6980 International Nutrition Seminar
NS 4620 Global Health Predeparture Seminar Tanzania
NS 4630 Global Health and Policy Issues in Tanzania
NS 7030 Seminar in Nutritional Sciences (team instructor)
Related Websites
DNS Home Page
Global Health Program
Selected Publications
Wright V, Ame SM, Haji JS, Weir R, Stoltzfus RJ, Tielsch J, Goodman D, Bickle Q. Early exposure of infants to GI nematodes induces Th2 dominant immune responses which are unaffected by periodic anthelminthic treatment. PLOS Neglected Diseases 2009;3(5):e433. Epub 2009 May 19.
Kung’u JK, Goodman D, Haji HJ, Ramsan M, Wright VJ, Bickle QD, Tielsch JM, Raynes JG, Stoltzfus RJ. Early helminth infections are inversely related to anemia, malnutrition and malaria and are not associated with inflammation in 6-23 month old Zanzibari chidren. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2009; 81:1062-70.
Paul KH, Dickin KL, Ali NS, Monterrosa EC, Stoltzfus RJ. Soy-rice based processed complementary food improves nutrient intakes in infants and is equally acceptable with our without added milk powder as assessed using Trials of Improved Practices in Pemba Island, Tanzania. J Nutr 2008; 138:1963-8.
Stoltzfus RJ. Research needed to strengthen science and programs for the control of iron deficiency anemia and its consequences in young children. J Nutr 2008; 138: 2542-6.
Tielsch JM, Khatry SK, Stoltzfus RJ, Katz J, LeClerq SC, Adhikan R, Mullany LC, Black R, Shresta S. Effect of zinc supplementation on mortality in children aged 1-48 months: a community-based randomized placebo-controlled trial. Lancet 2007; 101:766-72.
Alatorre Rico J, Kordas K, Lopez P, Rosado JL, Garcia Vargas G, Cebrian ME, Stoltzfus RJ. The efficacy of iron and/or zinc supplementation on cognitive performance of lead-exposed Mexican school children: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Pediatrics 2006; 117:518-527.
Miller MF, Stoltzfus RJ, Iliff PF, Malaba LC, Mbuya NV, the ZVITAMBO study group, Humphrey JH. Impact of maternal and neonatal vitamin A supplementation and other postnatal factors on anemia in Zimbabwean babies: a prospective randomized study. Am J Clin Nutr 2006; 84:212-222.
Olney D, Pollitt E, Kariger P, Khalfan S, Ali N, Tielsch J, Sazawal S, Black R, Allen LH, Stoltzfus RJ. Iron supplementation with or without zinc reduces time to walking unassisted among Zanzibari infants 5-11 months old. J Nutr 2006 136:2427-2434.
Sazawal S, Black RE, Ramsan M, Chwaya HM, Stoltzfus RJ, Dutta A, Dhingra U, Kabole I, Deb S, Mashavi K, Othman MK, Kabole FM. Effect of routine prophylactic iron and folic acid supplementation on hospitalizations and mortality in preschool children: A household-randomized placebo-controlled trial in a high malaria transmission setting. Lancet 2006; 367:133-143.
Miller MF, Humphrey JH, Iliff PF, Malaba LC, Mbuya NV, the ZVITAMBO study group, Stoltzfus RJ. Neonatal erythropoiesis and subsequent anemia in HIV-positive and HIV-negative Zimbabwean babies during the first year of life: a longitudinal study. BMC Infectious Disease 2006; 6:1.
Kariger P, Stoltzfus RJ, Olney DK, Sazawal S, Black R, Tielsch JM, Frongillo EA, Said S, Pollitt E. Iron deficiency and physical growth predict attainment of crawling and walking in a cross-sectional sample of poorly nourished Zanzibari infants. J Nutr 2005; 135; 814-819.
Stoltzfus RM, Mullany L, Black RE. Iron deficiency anaemia. In: Comparative Quantification of Health Risks: Global and Regional Burden of Disease Attributable to Selected Major Risk Factors. Volume 1. World Health Organization, Geneva, 2005, pp 163-209.
Kordas K, Stoltzfus RJ, Lopez P, Alatorre Rico J, Rosado JL. Iron and/or zinc supplementation does not improve parent or teacher ratings of behavior in first grade Mexican school children exposed to lead. J Ped 2005 147:632-639.