Rebecca Stoltzfus

Rebecca Stoltzfus

Rebecca Stoltzfus holds a Ph.D.in Human nutrition from Cornell University (1992) and a B.A. in Chemistry from Goshen College (1984). From 1992-2002, she was assistant and then associate professor in the Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she continues to hold an adjunct appointment. She joined the Division of Nutritional Sciences in 2002 as an associate professor and was promoted to professor in 2005.

Her research focuses on the causes and consequences of malnutrition in women and children in developing countries. She currently directs the Program in International Nutrition, and Cornell's Global Health Program on the Ithaca campus.  She is also serving as the Provost's Fellow for Public Engagement

 In my teaching, I utilize active learning strategies that foster independent thinking and enable students to integrate concepts.  In the global health program, we also support experiential learning, in which students can learn through doing.  The impact of experiential learning is enhanced by critical reflection, and therefore I embed reflection in all of my courses.  As an advisor of graduate students, I support independent thinking and collaobration through an active multidisciplinary research group.

• Program Advisory Committee, Helen Keller International, 2007-present.
• Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study, Expert Group Core Member in the Child Nutrition Expert Group, 2008—present
• Invited Member, WHO Nutrition Guidance Expert Advisory Group.

• Fellow, Grassroots Research and Advocacy Movement, Swami Vivekenanda Youth Movement, Mysore India.  (2011—present)

• Nutrition Scientific Advisory Group of the New York Academy of Sciences.  2011—present.

• Nutritional Steering Committee for “Global Enterics Multi-Center Study (GEMS),” a project of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (2011—present).

• Faculty Fellow, Cornell Center for a Sustainable Future, 2009—present

• Faculty Fellow, Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, 2012--present

The goal of my research program to improve the health and well being of women and children in low-income communities by improving their nutritional status. Current major research projects include:

• EBF Tozodii (Exclusive breastfeeding, and then what?), a nutrition and sanitation intervention for HIV-exposed infants in rural Zimbabwe (in collaboration with ZVITAMBO Project, Harare Zimbabwe, and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health).
• Sanitation & hygiene and nutrition interventions (SHINE):  effect on tropical enteropathy, anemia and growth in young children in rural Zimbabwe.  A cluster-randomized factorial trial.  (in collaboration with ZVITAMBO Project, Harare Zimbabwe, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Mcgill University).
• Maternal capacities for child care:  development of an interdisciplinary framework (in collaboration with ZVITAMBO Project, Harare Zimbabwe, and Alive & Thrive Project, Bangladesh)
• Establishing the link between mycotoxin exposure, gut function and stunting in Zimbabwean infants (in collaboration with ZVITAMBO Project, Harare Zimbabwe)
• Haiti national nutrition assessment and planning (in collaboration with UNICEF, Haiti)
• Integrating strategies for the prevention of preeclampsia and anemia into community based programs in Kenya and Ethiopia
  

Ph.D. 1992 - Cornell University, Human Nutrition
M.S. 1988 - Cornell University, Human Nutrition
B.A. 1984 - Goshen College, Chemistry

NS 4620    Global Health Predeparture Seminar Tanzania
 

Division of Nutritional Sciences
Global Health Program

Provost's Fellow for Public Engagement

Director, Program in International Nutrition
Director, Global Health Program, Ithaca campus

Heidkamp RA, Stoltzfus RJ, Fitzgerald DW, Pape JW. Growth in late infancy among HIV-exposed children in urban Haiti is associated with participation in a clinic-based infant feeding support intervention.  J Nutr. 2012; 142:774-80.

Paul KH, Muti M, Madzima R, Humphrey JH, Stoltzfus RJ.  Complementary feeding messages that target cultural barriers enhance the use of lipid-based nutrient supplements to improve infant diets in rural Zimbabwe.  Matern Child Nutr. 2012; 8:225-38.

Kim SS, Habicht JP, Menon P, Stoltzfus RJ.  How Do Programs Work to Improve Child Nutrition? Program Impact Pathways of Three Nongovernmental Organization Intervention Projects in the Peruvian Highlands.  IFPRI Discussion Paper, July 2011.  http://www.ifpri.org/sites/default/files/publications/ifpridp01105.pdf

Stoltzfus RJ.  Iron interventions for women and children in low-income countries.  J Nutr 2011 Apr;141:756S-62S.

Pelletier DL, Frongillo EA, Gervais SG, Hoey L, Menon P, Ngo T, Stoltzfus RJ, Ahmed AMS, Ahmed T.  Nutrition agenda setting, policy formulation and implementation:  lessons from the mainstreaming nutrition initiative.  Health Policy Planning 2011 Feb 3. [Epub ahead of print]

Paul KH, Muti M, Khalfan SS, Humphrey JH, Caffarella R, Stoltzfus RJ.  Beyond food insecurity:  how context can help improve complementary feeding interventions.  Food Nutr Bull 2011; 32:244-53.

Mbuya MNN, Humphrey JH, Majo F, Chasekwa B, Jenkins A, Israel-Ballard K, Muti M, Paul KH, Madzima RC, Moulton LH, Stoltzfus RJ.  Heat treatment of expressed breast milk is a feasible option for feeding HIV-exposed-uninfected children after 6 months of age in rural Zimbabwe.  J Nutr 2010; 140:1481-8.

Young SL, Khalfan SS, Farag T, Kavle J, Rasmussen KM, Pelto GH, Tielsch J, Stoltzfus RJ.  Association of pica with anemia and gastrointestinal distress among pregnant women in Zanzibar, Tanzania.  Am J Trop Med Hyg 2010; 83: 144-51.

Ag Ayoya M, Garza C, Speikermann-Brouwer GM, Stoltzfus RJ, Nemeth E, Habicht JP, Ganz T, Rawat R, Traoré.  Alpha-1-acid glycoprotein, hepcidin, C-reactive protein and serum ferritin are correlated in anemic school children with Schistosoma haematobium.  Am J Clin Nutr 2010;91:1784-90.

Rawat R, Humphrey JH, Mutasa K, Stoltzfus RJ.  Predicting adverse HIV related outcomes in a resource limited setting:  use of the inflammation marker alpha-1-acid glycoprotein.  AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses 2010; 26:1171-4.

Kung’u JK, Wright VJ, Haji HJ, Ramsan M, Goodman D, Tielsch JM, Bickle QD, Raynes JG, Stoltzfus RJ.  Adjusting for the acute phase response if essential to interpret iron status indicators among young Zanzibari children prone to chronic malaria and helminth infections.  J Nutr 2009; 139: 2124-31.

Rawat R, Humphrey JH, Ntozini R, Mutasa K, Iliff PJ, Stoltzfus RJ.  Elevated iron stores are associated with HIV disease severity and mortality among post-partum women in Zimbabwe.  Public Health Nutr 2009; 12:1321-9.

Kung’u J, Boor KJ, Ame SM, Ali NS, Jackson AE, Stoltzfus RJ.  Bacterial populations in complementary foods and drinking-water in households with children 10-15 months old in Zanzibar, Tanzania.  J Health Pop Nutr 2009 27:41-52.

Kung’u JK, Goodman D, Haji HJ, Ramsan M, Wright VJ, Bickle QD, Tielsch JM, Raynes JG, Stoltzfus RJ. Early helminth infections are inversely related to anemia, malnutrition and malaria and are not associated with inflammation in 6-23 month old Zanzibari chidren. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2009; 81:1062-70.

Paul KH, Dickin KL, Ali NS, Monterrosa EC, Stoltzfus RJ. Soy-rice based processed complementary food improves nutrient intakes in infants and is equally acceptable with our without added milk powder as assessed using Trials of Improved Practices in Pemba Island, Tanzania. J Nutr 2008; 138:1963-8.

Stoltzfus RJ. Research needed to strengthen science and programs for the control of iron deficiency anemia and its consequences in young children. J Nutr 2008; 138: 2542-6.

Tielsch JM, Khatry SK, Stoltzfus RJ, Katz J, LeClerq SC, Adhikan R, Mullany LC, Black R, Shresta S. Effect of zinc supplementation on mortality in children aged 1-48 months: a community-based randomized placebo-controlled trial. Lancet 2007; 101:766-72.

Alatorre Rico J, Kordas K, Lopez P, Rosado JL, Garcia Vargas G, Cebrian ME, Stoltzfus RJ. The efficacy of iron and/or zinc supplementation on cognitive performance of lead-exposed Mexican school children: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Pediatrics 2006; 117:518-527.

Miller MF, Stoltzfus RJ, Iliff PF, Malaba LC, Mbuya NV, the ZVITAMBO study group, Humphrey JH. Impact of maternal and neonatal vitamin A supplementation and other postnatal factors on anemia in Zimbabwean babies: a prospective randomized study. Am J Clin Nutr 2006; 84:212-222.

Olney D, Pollitt E, Kariger P, Khalfan S, Ali N, Tielsch J, Sazawal S, Black R, Allen LH, Stoltzfus RJ. Iron supplementation with or without zinc reduces time to walking unassisted among Zanzibari infants 5-11 m