Kristina S. Petersen

Kristina S. Petersen serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences within Penn State's College of Health and Human Development, where she directs the Diet and Cardiometabolic Health Lab. Her research bridges nutritional science and cardiovascular disease prevention through rigorous clinical investigations.

Her educational foundation includes:

• PhD in Nutrition, University of South Australia (2015)
• BNutDiet(Hons) in Nutrition and Dietetics, Flinders University (2011)

Dr. Petersen's research program centers on:

• Cardiovascular nutrition and diet quality assessment methodologies
• Mechanisms linking dietary patterns to CVD and diabetes risk
• Functional roles of herbs/spices in reducing sodium/saturated fat intake
• Diet-gut microbiome interactions in cardiometabolic health

Her 2021-2023 publications reveal strong thematic focus on translating dietary interventions into practical clinical applications, particularly examining how specific foods (avocados, peanuts, eggs) and flavor enhancers modify cardiovascular risk biomarkers through controlled feeding studies and microbiome analysis.

Dr. Petersen actively mentors graduate students and leads three major research initiatives:

• Cardiovascular effects of egg-containing dietary patterns
• Herb/spice strategies for reducing overconsumed nutrients
• Red meat metabolism and TMAO production pathways

Her laboratory employs interdisciplinary approaches combining controlled human feeding trials, microbiome sequencing, and dietary assessment tools to develop evidence-based nutritional guidance for cardiovascular disease prevention.