Rita Strakovsky

Rita Strakovsky is an Associate Professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Michigan State University (MSU), focusing on maternal nutrition and toxicology. Her work bridges endocrine disruption, epigenetics, and developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD).

• PhD in Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• Registered Dietitian (RD), University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• BS in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Her research investigates how maternal diet, endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), and obesity influence placental function, fetal development, and long-term maternal/child health. Key projects include:

• NIEHS K99/R00 on EDCs and maternal hormone disruption
• NIEHS R01 exploring phthalate impacts on cardiometabolic health
• NIH Administrative Supplement analyzing dietary micronutrient-gestation length interactions
• NICHD R03 on maternal obesity and reproductive biomarkers in newborns
• ECHO pilot grant linking perinatal obesity to mitochondrial epigenetic disruption

Her publications from 2010–2025 span rodent models and human epidemiology, emphasizing phthalates, BPA, and PFAS effects on epigenetics, metabolism, and reproductive health. Awards include a T32 postdoctoral fellowship and multiple NIEHS and NICHD grants.