Alexa Barad, MS, RD

PhD Candidate
Cornell University

Alexa was born and raised in Costa Rica. She completed her undergraduate degree in nutrition at Texas A&M University and continued her education at the University of Florida were she completed her Masters of Science and Dietetic Internship and later on became a Registered Dietitian. Alexa began her PhD at Cornell in 2019 and officially joined the O’Brien lab early 2020. Her doctoral research aims to improve understanding of genetic and biochemical variations in iron absorption and how these differences affect iron homeostasis across different ethnicities. Alexa is also interested in understanding iron partitioning during pregnancy and how maternal iron status impacts iron transport to the fetus.

Poster(s):

• (PO16-05-22) Placental Ferroportin Protein Abundance Is Associated With Neonatal Rather Than Maternal Iron Status in Women at High Risk for Gestational Iron Insufficiency