Xiaotao ‘Rony’ Zhang, MD, PhD,  Director

Assistant Professor in the Institute for Translational Epidemiology and Division of Liver Diseases with expertise in nutritional epidemiology and cancer epidemiology. His research portfolio encompasses both observational and controlled intervention studies, with a keen focus on the interplay between diet, obesity, diabetes and the microbiome in relation to a wide range of digestive diseases, cancer prevention, disparities in cancer, and survival rates. By merging epidemiologic methods with innovative techniques and bioinformatic/statistical strategies, his current research examines the role of biological and modifiable factors in digestive disease and cancer prevention. Together with Dr. Junxiu Liu and Dr. Ryan W Walker, he provides expertise to assist principal investigators and MSBRC staff in the development of optimal study designs, assessment, and analysis protocols to achieve nutritional research objectives.

Ryan W. Walker, PhD, MS,  Associate Director

Assistant Professor of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He is a clinical cardiometabolic disease scientist whose research focuses on elucidating the causes of,
and treatments for, obesity, type 2 diabetes and other metabolic diseases such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).He holds a Masters Degree in Applied Physiology and Clinical Nutrition from Columbia University and has extensive experience in designing and carrying out clinical dietary and exercise interventions. Dr. Walker has studied the effects of excess dietary fructose on metabolic risk for nearly 10 years, and results from his work on the true fructose content of foods and beverages were a pivotal component of implementing sugar sweetened beverage policy change in California. Dr. Walker also Directs the Human Metabolism and Physiology Lab (HMPL) at Mount Sinai Morningside, a pioneering facility that leverages gold-standard human metabolic measurements and testing to deeply understand the role of diet, exercise and environment on disease risk.

Junxiu (Juju) Liu,  PhD,  Associate Director

Assistant Professor in the Department of Population Science and Policy. She is a trained epidemiologist. Her research involved in a wide range of research topics in the past decade, including identifying prenatal and early life risk factors for childhood obesity, examining risk factors (diet, physical activity, behavior, and social determinant of health) for diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer, modeling the impact of dietary behaviors on disease outcomes, and evaluating the effectiveness of nutrition policies to improve health, reduce disparities, and promote health equity. Through her research, she has developed a deep understanding of the epidemiology of chronic diseases, including their risk factors, prevalence and secular trends, and impact on populations and of economic evaluations of policy interventions for promoting healthy lifestyles and reducing the burden of chronic diseases.

Megan Miller, MS, RD, CNSC, CDN, Senior Nutritionist

Senior Nutritionist at the Mount Sinai Center for Gastrointestinal Physiology & Motility. She specializes in medical nutrition therapy for patients managing a variety of gastrointestinal conditions and is a certified nutrition support clinician with advanced training in enteral and parenteral nutrition support. She completed her undergraduate and graduate studies in nutrition at New York University where she also assisted with dietary management research. She completed her clinical dietetics training at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and has been working within Mount Sinai Health System since 2021.