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Research Nutritionist
USDA, ARS, BHNRC, Food Components and Health Lab
Kelly Higgins is a clinical nutrition research scientist with training in the areas of nutrition science, food science, and public health and experience in evaluating relationships between diet and health. She is a Research Scientist at the USDA Food Components and Health Laboratory (FCHL) in the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center. Kelly Higgins received her dual bachelor’s degrees in Nutritional Sciences and Biochemistry from the University of Missouri and her doctoral degree and Master of Public Health from Purdue University.
Dr. Higgins’ current research at the FCHL investigates the role of sensory properties and palatability of the diet on body composition and ingestive behavior. Kelly Higgins’ previous work at Purdue University investigated the differential effects of low calorie sweeteners on body weight, appetite, and energy intake in two long-term randomized controlled trials each with over 100 participants where she developed skills in design and implementation of human randomized controlled trials and biochemical and statistical analysis.
Kelly Higgins also previously worked as a Senior Scientist at Exponent Inc., a scientific consulting company. While at Exponent, she led systematic reviews on the health benefits of a variety of dietary exposures in clinical interventions and critically evaluated the quality of randomized controlled trials. In addition, she conducted research to determine usual food and nutrient intake and nutrient adequacies based on data collected as part of NHANES.
In her free time, Kelly enjoys stand up paddle boarding, taking urban hikes through her DC neighborhood, and listening to podcasts.