Marissa Burgermaster

Marissa Burgermaster, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor jointly appointed in The University of Texas at Austin's Department of Nutritional Sciences in the College of Natural Sciences and the Department of Population Health at Dell Medical School. Her innovative work bridges behavioral nutrition science and biomedical informatics to address critical health challenges.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Behavioral Nutrition, Columbia University
• Master's in Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
• M.S. in Nutrition and Food Science, Montclair State University
• M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction, William & Mary
• Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Dr. Burgermaster's research applies biomedical informatics methods to improve nutrition and community health, with a focus on leveraging patient-generated data to personalize nutrition interventions for chronic disease prevention and management. She specializes in developing technologies for underserved populations who are often excluded from digital health innovations. Her work on psychosocial-behavioral phenotyping has established a novel framework for precision behavioral nutrition, enabling tailored interventions based on individual behavioral, psychological, and social profiles. She has led significant projects including Platano, a motivationally tailored app for diabetes management among underserved populations, and 'Taming Type 2 Diabetes Together,' a voice application that was a finalist in major technology competitions.

Her recent publications demonstrate a clear trajectory toward personalized, data-driven nutrition interventions that address health equity. The research spans school-based nutrition programs, digital health tools for chronic disease management, and innovative approaches to understanding how food processing levels impact health outcomes in diverse populations. Her work particularly emphasizes interventions for African American and Latinx communities, addressing critical gaps in culturally appropriate digital health solutions.

Awards and Recognition:

• 16th NIH Matilda White Riley Behavioral & Social Sciences Honors Early Stage Investigator Paper Award (2023)
• Outstanding Faculty Researcher of the Year, Department of Population Health (2020)
• Early Career Award from the New York Academy of Sciences Nutrition Program

As principal investigator of an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality-funded project, Dr. Burgermaster leads an interdisciplinary team developing clinical software for personalized diet goal-setting in primary care. She also serves as a Director at Large on the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior's board of directors and has held leadership roles in multiple professional organizations focused on nutrition education and digital health innovation. Her background as a former teacher and school administrator uniquely positions her to develop practical, implementable solutions that bridge academic research and real-world healthcare settings.