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Postdoctoral Research Fellow
UTHealth Science Center at Houston, School of Public Health - El Paso, TX
Dr. Ashley Toney received her Ph.D. in Human Sciences with a specialization in Biochemical/Molecular Nutrition and Community Nutrition/Health Promotion from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in August 2021. Her doctoral work focused on red raspberry polyphenols, their microbes, and their gut microbiota-derived metabolites, the urolithins, on metabolic diseases including type 2 diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease using germ-free mice. Additionally, she studied community health worker effectiveness in the state of Nebraska using the social ecological model as a framework to advocate for community health worker support and sustainability.
Dr. Toney is currently a first-year postdoctoral research fellow and NIH Diversity Supplement Recipient at the UTHealth School of Public Health in El Paso, Texas and the Center for Community Health Impact. Her research interests focus on reducing Latino/a/e health disparities by using translational approaches at the bench and in the community as well as bridging the gap between research and practice in underserved communities. She is a former USDA NIFA Predoctoral Fellow and ASN Young Minority Investigator Award winner. She currently serves on the ASN Minority and Diversity Affairs Committee (MDAC) and the Early Career Nutrition (ECN) Executive Committee. As a first- generation student and Latina scientist, she aspires to work with ASN’s MDAC and ECN Executive Committee to develop a pipeline within science and professional organizations for individuals who are historically excluded in nutrition science.