Annika Weber

Annika Weber is currently a Food Science and Human Nutrition PhD student at Colorado State University. She previously studied Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, California, where she worked in an Analytical Environmental Chemistry Lab. During her graduate studies, she also received a grant from the NSF’s International Research Experiences for Undergraduate Students where she worked in an Environmental and Biomedical Lab in Dublin, Ireland. After graduating, Annika moved to Madrid, Spain to teach English. While working with children from various backgrounds and cultures, she became interested in international nutrition. She then went on to complete her master’s degree in Human Nutrition at the University of Sheffield in Sheffield, England. Here, Annika carried out a human health project concerning heavy metal exposure through the consumption of crops grown on contaminated land. After completing her master’s degree, Annika was driven to continue promoting access to safer, more nutritious food. This led Annika to Dr. Ryan’s research group where she is studying arsenic concentrations in rice bran and the detoxifying role of the gut microbiome. As part of her PhD, Annika has also been accepted into the NSF’s Interdisciplinary Training, Education and Research in the Food-Energy-Water Systems Program where she is working on the sustainable development of rice bran as a nutritious food ingredient. Recent clinical research findings from this project show that rice bran has tremendous global health impact potential to mitigate diarrheal disease, malnutrition and growth stunting of children living with poor water quality, water scarcity and health inequities. Annika hopes to apply her doctoral research to an international public health agency where can continue working to find integrative food solutions to promote nutrition and health across the lifespan.