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Mattei Research Group

Our team investigates the genetic, dietary, and psychosocial risk factors of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and allostatic load in racial and ethnic groups as well as underserved and minority populations, as a framework to explain health disparities.

Location

665 Huntington Avenue 
Building 2, 3rd floor 
Boston, MA 02115 

Who We Are

Our group conducts research to identify the genetic, dietary, and psychosocial determinants of chronic disease and physiological stress (allostatic load) as a framework to explain and alleviate health disparities in racial/ethnic and minority groups, particularly Latinos in the U.S. and Latin America. Our work is done through multiple epidemiological studies as well as community-based programs and population-wide initiatives to promote healthy eating and improve cardiometabolic outcomes.

General areas of interest

  • Diet quality and type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and related cardiometabolic outcomes
  • Ethnic-specific traditional foods, dietary habits, and nutritional intake and how these shape racial/ethnic disparities in cardiometabolic outcomes and chronic disease
  • Psychosocial and sociocultural aspects of diet and health (i.e.: acculturation, discrimination, social support), and their use in culturally tailored lifestyle interventions
  • The global nutrition transition; establishing dietary interventions to improve diet quality and prevent diabetes in Latin America
  • Effect of variants in genes of glucose- and lipid-metabolism pathways on weight- and metabolic-related outcomes in response to diet interventions; gene-diet interactions
  • Community diet and lifestyle interventions and population-based health promotion programs tailored to particular minority populations