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Associate Professor of Nutrition and Doctoral Program Director
City University of New York (CUNY), Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy
Dr. Ghada Soliman’s laboratory research focuses on nutrient-signaling pathways and disease prevention and control. At the molecular level, cells sense and respond to environmental cues such as energy level, glucose, protein, and mitogens via a-sensing protein termed the mechanistic Target of Rapamycin (mTOR). mTOR is a central regulator of normal cell metabolism and cancer metabolism. As such, dysregulation of the mTOR signaling pathway is implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic diseases, including insulin resistance, diabetes, and cancer.
Dr. Soliman’s research interests focus on the role of mTOR regulatory networks in pancreatic diseases, including diabetes, metabolic disease, and pancreatic cancer. Research models used in the laboratory include cell culture, mouse models of pancreatic cancer, and clinical samples. Dr. Soliman’s transdisciplinary research portfolio spans cardiometabolic risk and cancer research, chronic disease prevention, population health, school nutrition, systems biology, and laboratory-based nutrient metabolism. The research integrates the impact of mTOR complexes on untargeted metabolomics, diet, and internal exposome, as well as the use of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) databases to investigate the causality of mTOR and nutrients in diabetes and obesity, to explain health outcomes, and inform repurposing opportunities of FDA-approved mTOR inhibitors.
Dr. Soliman has a well-established track record, both in research and teaching, and taught several courses on human nutrition across the life course, community nutrition education, and nutrient metabolism. Dr. Soliman’s Public health nutrition research is centered on optimal nutrition as an integral part of public health promotion and disease prevention. Her community nutrition research focuses on health equity, access to food, school nutrition and childhood obesity prevention, weight management among individuals, community, and across populations and wellness programs in the workplace. Dr. Soliman’s community research emphasizes a nutrient-dense, well-balanced diet, physical activity, and behavioral modification to promote optimal health.