Assistant Professor Neda Akhavan joined the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences in August 2023. Dr. Akhavan’s research focuses on understanding how functional foods, including whole foods, nutraceuticals/extracts and dietary supplements improve or prevent chronic disease conditions. Additionally, she is interested in examining the burden of disease conditions and how factors including dietary patterns, obesity, aging, and functional performance/functionality may be associated with various health outcomes.

Populations she has worked with include individuals with diabetes/pre-diabetes, hypertension/pre-hypertension, metabolic syndrome, osteoporosis/osteopenia, osteoarthritis, and cognitive decline. She is an advocate for multi-disciplinary and collaborative research, where the goal of her research is to improve public health and nutritional habits. Her passion to enhance the effectiveness and impact of clinical and public health nutrition led her to obtain her RD credential to further contribute to the growing needs for translational research in both dietetics practice and policy.

Dr. Akhavan earned her master's degree in Clinical Nutrition and her doctoral degree in Human Nutrition from Florida State University. She also completed her postdoctoral fellowship in Human Nutrition at Florida State University.