Kimberly O'Brien

Kimberly O'Brien is a Professor of Human Nutrition in the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University's College of Human Ecology. She directs the O'Brien Laboratory, which focuses on understanding the nutritional, endocrine, and genomic factors that interact to regulate calcium, vitamin D, and iron homeostasis, with particular emphasis on maternal and child health across diverse populations.

Dr. O'Brien received her B.S. in Biology from the University of New Hampshire and her PhD in Nutrition from the University of Connecticut, Storrs. Her professional training included fellowships with the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Laboratory of Theoretical and Physical Biology/Section for Metabolic Analysis and Mass Spectrometry, and the Children's Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine. Before joining Cornell, she spent 10 years as a faculty member in the Center of Human Nutrition at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Dr. O'Brien's research program centers on mineral metabolism and bone health in infants, children, and pregnant and lactating women in both developed and developing countries. Her laboratory employs stable mineral isotope techniques using a Triton TI magnetic sector thermal ionization mass spectrometer to conduct kinetic studies of human mineral metabolism. Current research focuses on:

• Maternal and fetal bone health, particularly in adolescent pregnancy among minority populations
• Risk of anemia and iron physiology in pregnant women and newborns
• Vitamin D metabolism during pregnancy, especially in women with obesity
• Ethnic differences in iron absorption (FeGenes study)
• The impact of gut microbiome on iron absorption
• Bio-enhanced chicken meat and eggs for improved vitamin D status

Her publication record demonstrates consistent focus on mineral metabolism, with recent work examining ethnic differences in iron absorption, placental iron transport mechanisms, and vitamin D kinetics during pregnancy. Her research combines clinical studies with advanced analytical techniques to address fundamental questions in nutritional science, often focusing on health disparities among minority populations.

Dr. O'Brien's laboratory is well-funded through multiple NIH and USDA grants, including:

• FeMicrobiome study (USDA) examining diet, gut microbiome and iron absorption
• Impact of Obesity, DBP Genotype and Pregnancy on Vitamin D Kinetics (NICHD HD111502)
• USDA AFRI-NRI studies on bioenhanced poultry products
• Ethnic Differences in Iron Absorption (FeGenes) funded by NIH-NIDDK (DK122216)
• Characterization of Iron Regulatory Hormone Erythroferrone During Pregnancy (NIH-NICHD)

The O'Brien Laboratory maintains a state-of-the-art mass spectrometry facility with a Triton TI magnetic sector thermal ionization mass spectrometer, installed in 2005, which provides high-sensitivity mineral stable isotope analysis capabilities for both internal research and collaborative projects with other academic institutions across the country.