utexas.edu College of Natural Sciences
Department of Nutritional Sciences
Search the site

Marcela Abrego

  • Nutritional Sciences Graduate Student Association President
  • Nutritional Sciences
Profile image of Marcela Abrego
mrabrego@austin.utexas.edu

Biography

Marcela is the President of the NGSA. She is a third-year PhD student in the Widen lab. Marcela received her BS in Nutritional Sciences at UT Austin and MPH in Health Leadership and Nutrition Quality from UNC Chapel Hill. Her research is focused on the intersection of obesity and eating behaviors as it pertains to metabolic syndrome in maternal health and early childhood. The ultimate goal of her research is to improve the well-being of underserved populations through culturally competent intervention programs that are sustainable for equitable health across socioeconomic strata. 

Research

I am interested in how early life experiences and behaviors shape health and cardiometabolic disease risk. My research is focused on modifiable determinants of metabolic disease and the longer-term effects of early-life feeding behaviors on child growth and glucose metabolism in populations facing health disparities. 

Research Areas

  • Nutrition or Obesity

Education

  • MPH, Health Leadership and Nutrition Quality, The Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • BS, Nutritional Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin

Publications

    1. Abrego MR, Rundle AG, Foster SF, Powers DA, Hoepner LA, Kinsey EW, Perera FP, Widen EM. Gestational weight gain and long-term cardiometabolic health in a prospective cohort of Black and Dominican women from pregnancy to 17 years post-delivery. Under Review at Obesity.
    2. Abrego MR, Dube S, Luci J, Dabelea D, Janumala I, Gray M, Virostko J, Dula A, Hinkle S, Nichols A, Rickman RR, Foster SF, Robayo Jimenez JP, Jones H, Cahill A, Wright M, Widen EM. Predictive models of total and visceral adiposity at 15 weeks gestation. In preparation for European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
    3. Abrego M, Berkowitz S, Coppage R, Mohiuddin H. Using a Cooking Matters Nutrition Intervention Program to Address Healthcare Quality and Access for Black Adults with Cardiovascular Disease in Cleveland County, North Carolina. Carolina Digital Repository, UNC Chapel Hill
    4. Rickman RR, Widen EM, Lane CE, Abrego MR, Nichols AR, Foster SF, Catalano P. Infant body composition trajectories differ by in utero exposure to gestational diabetes mellitus: a prospective cohort from birth to 12 months. In Press at American Journal for Clinical Nutrition.
    5. Foster SF, Rundle AG, Tsai I, Genkinger JM, Burns NR, Hoepner LA, Abrego MR, Dube S, Nichols AR, Ramirez-Carvey J, Oberfield SE, Hassoun A, Perera F, Widen EM. Postpartum Obesity Is Associated With Increases in Child Adiposity in Mid-childhood in a Cohort of Black and Dominican Youth. Curr Dev Nutr. 2024 May 13;8(6):103770. PMC11214177. 

Awards

  • Early Career Travel Award, The Obesity Society, 2024
  • Health Policy Research Scholars Grant Semi-finalist, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2023
  • Diversity Travel Award, The Obesity Society, 2022
  • Dean’s Prestigious Fellow, University of Texas at Austin Graduate School, 2022-2026
  • Interprofessional Education and Practice Distinguished Scholar, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Graduate School, 2021-2022
  • Texas Interdisciplinary Scholar, University of Texas at Austin, 2015-2019