Di Xiao
Di Xiao, PhD candidate, is a clinical nutrition research associate at the Center for Nutrition Research, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Illinois Institute of Technology. Di Xiao’s long term research interests involve the development of a comprehensive understanding of utilizing bioactive components in foods as preventive strategy of chronic disease, such as diabetes and Alzheimer disease. As a research scientist and PhD student working in Dr. Britt Burton-Freeman and Dr. Indika Edirisinghe’s lab, her previous researches focused on understanding the health benefit of foods rich in dietary bioactive compounds, such as mango, watermelon and berries in at-risk populations, such as among adults with prediabetes, insulin resistant and metabolic syndrome. Di Xiao also extensively involved on variety of dietary fibers studies on postprandial glycemic response in healthy adults. Di Xiao’s academic training and research experience resulted in several peer reviewed publications, as well as poster presentations at scientific meetings, such as Annual Experimental Biology and Annual Nutrition Science Meeting. Di Xiao’s PhD project is on developing dietary strategies for healthy aging, involving understand and investigate the effect of modified ketogenic diet and berries on cardio-metabolic-vascular-cognitive health.