Cora M. Best, MHS PhD Candidate Division of Nutritional Sciences Cornell University Ithaca, New York cmb466@cornell.edu EDUCATION PhD, 2019 (anticipated), Human Nutrition. Cornell University, Ithaca, New York Minors in Epidemiology and Reproductive Physiology Dietetic Internship, 2018-2019. Cornell University and University of Rochester Medical Center, Ithaca and Rochester, NY MHS, 2007, International Health, Human Nutrition Concentration. The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland BA, 2004, Anthropology and English. The University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS 2017-present, Les Mills BODYPUMP Instructor. Island Health and Fitness, Ithaca, New York 2015-2017, Group Fitness Instructor. Cornell Recreation Centers, Ithaca, New York 2011-2013, Clinical Trials Coordinator, Weight Management Program. Children s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri 2010, Nutrition Consultant. United Nations World Food Programme, Jakarta, Indonesia 2007-2009, Consultant, Nutrition, Maternal Child Health, HIV/AIDS Unit. United Nations World Food Programme, Rome, Italy AWARDS AND HONORS Travel award winner, Cornell Nutrition Graduate Student Organization research symposium 2018. Winner of the Emerging Leaders in Nutrition Science Poster Competition, Maternal, Perinatal, and Pediatric Research Interest Section. American Society for Nutrition annual meeting at Experimental Biology 2017 Predoctoral Fellow, Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIH/NIDDK) Nutrition Training Grant 2014-2018 Cornell University Doctoral Student Fellowship 2013 Cora M. Best 1
Delta Omega Public Health Honor Society, Johns Hopkins University Alpha Chapter 2007 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of International Health, Excellence in Internship Award 2007 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of International Health, Academic Achievement Award 2007 Jesse Wrench Memorial Scholarship for undergraduate Anthropology student, University of Missouri-Columbia 2003 GRANT SUPPORT The Gerber Foundation, Novice Researcher Award, 01/01/2016 12/31/2018. Total direct support - $17,928, PI Cornell University Graduate School, Research Travel Grant, 01/01/2016. Total Direct Support - $2,000 INVITED PRESENTATIONS Vitamin D metabolism during human pregnancy, Cornell Dairy Center of Excellence Spring Seminar Series. Ithaca, New York, April 2018 Vitamin D metabolism during pregnancy: New insights and clinical implications, Wells College Science Colloquium. Aurora, New York, February 2018 Serum 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D is suppressed across pregnancy in adolescents with low vitamin D status, Experimental Biology Conference. Chicago, IL, April 2017 PROFFERED PRESENTATIONS Best CM, Ganz A. Responsible conduct of research: plagiarism. The Maternal and Child Nutrition Research Seminar, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, February 2016 Immunologic effects and metabolism of vitamin D during pregnancy. The Maternal and Child Nutrition Research Seminar, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, May 2015 Best CM, O Sullivan L. Responsible conduct of research: authorship. The Maternal and Child Nutrition Research Seminar, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, May 2015 POSTER PRESENTATIONS Best CM, Pressman EK, Queenan RA, Cooper E, O Brien KO. Serum vitamin D binding protein and free 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations in a multiracial cohort of pregnant adolescents. American Society for Nutrition annual meeting Nutrition 2018, 2018 Jun 10, Boston, MA Cora M. Best 2
Best CM, Mehta S, Pressman EK, Queenan RA, Cooper E, O Brien KO. Effect of maternal vitamin D supplementation on vitamin D metabolites and markers of immune function in umbilical cord serum. International Union of Nutritional Sciences 21 st International Congress of Nutrition, 2017 Oct 16, Buenos Aires, Argentina Best CM, Pressman EK, Cooper E, Queenan RA, O Brien KO. Serum 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D is suppressed across pregnancy in adolescents with low vitamin D status. American Society for Nutrition annual meeting at Experimental Biology, 2017 Apr 24, Chicago, IL Best CM, Pressman E, Cao C, Hamza I, Cooper E, Guillet R, O Brien KO. Expression of iron transporters in human placenta: Influence of maternal and neonatal iron status. Experimental Biology, 2015 Mar 28 Apr 1, Boston, MA Best CM, van den Briel T, van Geel L, Osendarp S. Nutritional status of school-age children: Update from Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. 3 rd Africa Nutrition Epidemiology Conference, 2008 Oct 13-16, Cairo, Egypt Best CM, de Pee S, Bloem MW, Kalm L, Ricks M, Stallkamp G, Sari M, Semba RD. Parental tobacco use is associated with increased risk of malnutrition among children in Indonesia and Bangladesh. Poster session presented at the Micronutrient Forum, 2007 Apr 16-18, Istanbul, Turkey SERVICE Chair, Campus Welfare Committee, Cornell University Assembly, 2014-2015 Graduate Student Member, Cornell University Assembly, 2014-2015 Voting Member, Cornell Graduate and Professional Students Assembly, 2014-2015 Nutrition Graduate Students Organization Spring Speaker Coordinator, 2015 Field of Nutrition Representative, Cornell Graduate and Professional Students Assembly, 2013-2014 Wellness Educator, The Kansas City CARE Clinic, Kansas City, MO. 2011-2013 PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT Representative at the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students Advocacy Summit & Legislative Action Days, Washington DC, 2014 ComSciCon Cornell: A Science Communication Workshop. 2015 May 21, 29; Ithaca, NY ComSciCon at ScienceWriters Conference. 2015 Oct 9-12, Boston, MA Cora M. Best 3
BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Best CM, Pressman EK, Queenan RA, Cooper E, Vermeylen F, O Brien KO. Gestational age and maternal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration interact to affect the 24,25- dihydroxyvitamin D concentration in pregnant adolescents. J Nutr. 2018 Jun 1;148(6):868-875. PMID: 29796622 2. Best CM, O Brien KO, Pressman EK. Vitamin D nutrition in pregnancy. PeriFACTS OB/GYN Academy. Activity #16091P. 2016 Dec. University of Rochester. Rochester, NY. 3. Best CM, Pressman EK, Cao C, Cooper E, Guillet R, Yost OL, Galati J, Kent TR, O Brien KO. Maternal iron status during pregnancy compared with neonatal iron status better predicts placental iron transporter expression in humans. FASEB J. 2016 Oct;30(10):3541-3550. PMID: 27402672 4. Hampl S, Odar Stough C, Poppert Cordts K, Best C, Blackburn K, Dreyer Gillette ML. Effectiveness of a hospital-based multidisciplinary pediatric weight management program: twoyear outcomes of PHIT Kids. Child Obes. 2016 Feb;12(1):20-5. PMID: 26790094 5. O Brien KO, Best CM. Nutrition, adolescent pregnancy and bone. In: Weaver CM, Daly RM, Bischoff-Ferrari HA, editors. Nutritional Influences on Bone Health, 9 th International Symposium. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing; 2016. p. 279-289. 6. Dreyer Gillette ML, Odar Stough C, Best CM, Beck AR, Hampl SE. Comparison of a condensed 12-week version and a 24-week version of a family-based pediatric weight management program. Child Obes. 2014 Oct;10(5):375-82. 7. Gillette ML, Stough CO, Beck AR, Maliszewski G, Best CM, Gerling JK, Summar S. Outcomes of a weight management clinic for children with special needs. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2014 May; 35(4):266-73. 8. Best C, Neufingerl N, Transler C, del Rosso J, van den Briel T, Osendarp S. Can multimicronutrient food fortification improve the micronutrient status, health, growth, and cognition of schoolchildren? A systematic review. Nutr Rev. 2011 Apr;69(4):186-204. 9. Best C, Neufingerl N, van Geel L, van den Briel T, Osendarp S. The nutritional status of schoolaged children: why should we care? Food Nutr Bull. 2010 Sep;31(3):400-17. 10. Best CM, Semba RD. Impact of parental tobacco use on child malnutrition and survival. In: Semba RD, Bloem MW, editors. Nutrition and Health in Developing Countries, 2 nd edition. Totowa, NJ: Humana Press; 2008. p. 657-676. 11. Best CM, Sun K, de Pee S, Sari M, Bloem MW, Semba RD. Paternal smoking and increased risk of child malnutrition among families in rural Indonesia. Tob Control. 2008 Feb;17(1):38-45. Cora M. Best 4
12. Semba RD, de Pee S, Sun K, Best CM, Sari M, Bloem MW. Paternal smoking and increased risk of infant and under-5 child mortality in Indonesia. Am J Public Health. 2008 Oct;98(10):1824-6. Epub 2008 Feb 28. 13. Best CM, Sun K, de Pee S, Bloem MW, Stallkamp G, Semba RD. Parental tobacco use is associated with increased risk of child malnutrition in Bangladesh. Nutrition. 2007 Oct;23(10):731-8. OTHER ACADEMIC TRAINING World Health Organization/Cochrane/Cornell University Summer Institute for Systematic Reviews for Nutrition in Global Policy Making. Cornell University. 2017 July 24 Aug 3. Future Professors Institute: Advancing Diversity in the Academy. Cornell University. June, 2016. Building Mentoring Skills for an Academic Career, Certificate Program. Cornell University Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning. Spring Semester 2016. University-wide Teaching Conference. Cornell University Center for Teaching Excellence. 2016 National Institutes of Health John Milner Nutrition and Cancer Prevention Research Practicum. National Cancer Institute, Shady Grove, MD. 2016 Mar 14-18 Discussion Group Leader, Responsible Conduct of Research Symposium at Cornell University. Ithaca, NY, 2015 Jan 25 10 th Annual Mass Spectrometry-based Proteomics Workshop. Institute for Biotechnology. Cornell University. 2015 Sep 15-16. Discussion Group Leader, Responsible Conduct of Research Symposium at Cornell University. Ithaca, NY, 2015 Jan 16 Cora M. Best 5