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Graduate Research Assistant
Tufts University, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy
Kelly Copeland Cara is a doctoral pre-candidate in the Nutrition Epidemiology and Data Science Division at the Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy in Boston, MA. She has a background in experimental psychology where her research focused on motivation, mindfulness, and well-being. As Assessment Research Coordinator at Missouri State University, Kelly engaged in research related to subtle changes in teaching practices that could foster student engagement and improve learning outcomes. To further her interests in well-being, she later trained in health-supportive culinary arts centered around plant-forward dietary patterns. After culinary school, Kelly worked for various institutions in Austin, TX, that promoted whole food plant-based, Ayurvedic, macrobiotic, and raw/living food diets. Through these experiences, she became increasingly interested in investigating potential risks and benefits of these diets for overall health including physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and financial impacts. Kelly is now pursuing research opportunities aimed at uncovering practical and simple dietary and food preparation choices people can make to foster improved and sustained health across the lifespan. Her current research utilizes systematic review, scoping review, and evidence mapping methodologies along with other forms of secondary analyses to investigate impacts of nutrients, foods, and dietary patterns on health outcomes such as growth and development, gastrointestinal issues, and inflammation. During her doctoral studies, Kelly aims to make strong connections between her psychology and nutrition backgrounds by researching associations between diet and mental/cognitive health outcomes such as Alzheimer's Disease.