Ellen W. Demerath

Ellen W. Demerath is a Professor in the Division of Epidemiology & Community Health at the University of Minnesota, where she also serves as Director of the Driven to Discover Research Facility and is affiliated with the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain and Healthy Weight Research Center. She has continuously received NIH funding since 2005 and contributes to global health through research aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goals.

• PhD, Anthropology (University of Pennsylvania)
• MS, Anthropology (University of Pennsylvania)
• BA, Biological Anthropology (Harvard University)

Her research focuses on the developmental origins of health and disease, investigating how maternal and early-life factors influence lifelong health. Key areas include genetics, epigenetics, obesity, and child health, with over 200 publications and national/international recognition. She leads projects like Milk-Omics and Life course effects of childhood intervention, bridging nutrition, human biology, and child development.

Recent publications analyze human milk composition, infant body composition, and genetic influences on puberty timing. She also examines maternal obesity and neonatal nutrition protocols, with subfields spanning biomedical informatics, microbiome research, and pediatric oncology.

• NIH Funding since 2005
• Section Editor, Annals of Human Biology (2022–present)

Her work involves collaborations with institutions like Brigham and Women's Hospital and National Institutes of Health, emphasizing translational research and public health impact. She actively mentors PhD students and contributes to policy through federal expert panels.