Maternal to Adolescent Eating, Nutrition, and Development Laboratory

Meet the Team

Grace Shearrer, PhD

Dr. Shearrer earned her PhD in Nutrition from the University of Texas at Austin after completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Wyoming. Dr. Shearrer specializes in maternal and child nutrition behavior.

Grace is from Denver, CO but now lives happily in Laramie, WY with her husband and their 4 cats (yes 4). Grace loves playing soccer, making green chile, and hanging out with her 2 brothers.

Citations

Graduate Students

Marina Trave Ferrer

Seeking Master's of Food Science and Human Nutrition

Marina joined the M2AENAD lab in Fall 2024 as a Master's student in Human Nutrition. Her academic focus centers on the complex relationship between nutrition and female health, with a particular emphasis on understanding and supporting menstrual health. As an international student-athlete from Catalunya, Marina brings a unique perspective shaped by her career competing in cross country and track for UWYO.

Her experience as a dedicated athlete directly fuels her research interests, as she states: "As a competitive athlete, my passion for running has fueled my interest in sports nutrition, particularly in optimizing the nutritional needs of female athletes to support performance, recovery, and overall health."

Muzayyana (Yanko) Akhmadjonova

Seeking PhD in Neuroscience

Yanko joined the M2AENAD lab in Spring 2022. She has a medical doctor degree and now is pursuing her Ph.D. in Neuroscience.

“I am fascinated by learning how the human brain works and manages doing the largest variety of jobs among all the body's organs. Can you imagine that the brain controls every organ in your body? And no, it doesn’t just warrant your survival from the biological point of view, it also lets you think and understand this text and make your own opinion of it. I do believe that it’s amazing and I would like to contribute to revealing the mysteries of the human brain!”

Farbod Shafieian

Seeking Master's of Food Science and Human Nutrition

Farbod joined the lab in 2025 as a Research Assistant. He is deeply fascinated by the intricate workings of the brain, viewing it not only as the body's control center but also as a dynamic network of signals that shapes our thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

As Farbod says, "I’m fascinated by how the brain works, not just as the control center of our body, but as a living network of signals that shapes how we think, feel, and experience the world. This incredible system is constantly influenced by something as ordinary as the food we eat. Nutrition doesn’t just fuel the body; it fuels the brain. I want to understand how the brain reflects the effects of food. How we eat shapes how we think. To me, uncovering that mind-body connection is like solving a beautiful, complex puzzle, and I’d love to help piece it together."

Lab Helpers

Emily Polson

Research Assistant

Emily Polson joined the lab in 2023 as a research assistant. She has enjoyed working on the mROC-T project. She is a junior studying Human Nutrition and Food.

"I have a passion for nutrition and plan on attending grad school after my undergrad to pursue an RD. In the future, I want to focus on disease prevention through diet and promoting nutrition education. In my free time, I enjoy playing pickleball and traveling.. I look forward to furthering my education and participating in the great research the lab produces."

Michaela Eddy

Research Assistant

Michaela Eddy joined the lab in 2024 as a research assistant. She is a junior studying Human Nutrition and Food as well as International Studies. Michaela has plans to obtain a PhD and a career in research related to global longevity and preventative healthcare.

Michaela resides in Laramie, WY where she takes full advantage of the open access to nature and the great outdoors. She enjoys cooking, curling up with a good book, and travelling anywhere, any time she gets the chance.

Dylan Van Der Hock

Social Media - Research Assistant

Dylan joined the lab in 2025 as the social media manager. He is an international student from Argentina who is studying Communication with a minor in Public Relations.

"As an international student, I'm excited to contribute my communication skills to the lab's outreach. Outside of my studies, I'm passionate about running and compete in cross country and track at the international level. I look forward to supporting the lab's work and connecting it with a wider audience."

Esmerelda Hornedo

Research Assistant

Esmerelda Hornedo joined in the lab in 2023 as a research assistant. She is currently a senior studying Human Nutrition and Food.

Tatiana Warden

Research Assistant

Tatiana Warden joined the lab in 2024. She graduated with her BS in Kinesiology and Health in 2025. Currently, Tatiana works on the Mental Health and Nutrition Network.

Former Students

Grace Strahan

Master's of Food Science and Human Nutrition

Grace Strahan (McCartney) earned her BS in Family Consumer Sciences with a concentration in Dietetics in May of 2023 from the University of Wyoming. She joined the lab team in the Fall of 2023 and graduated in Spring 2025.

Grace's Thesis work focused on the Mental Health and Nutrition Network. Grace is now an MS RDN

Sara Ghasempour

Master's of Food Science and Human Nutrition

Sara Ghasempour joined the lab in 2022 and graduated in Spring 2024. Her thesis work evaluated the association between parental feeding styles and child picky eating. Sara is now a research assistant at the University of Southern California.

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