The O'Brien Laboratory is located in room 261 and 262 of the Human Metabolic Research Unit ( HMRU) in Martha Van Rensselaer Hall on the Cornell Ithaca campus.

Our main research interests in the laboratory focus on mineral dynamics with an emphasis on pediatric and pregnant populations. To undertake our research projects many of our studies utilize stable mineral isotopes as tracers. These tracers are measured using mass spectrometric instrumentation for high-sensitivity isotopic analyses. Dr. Kimberly O'Brien performs these analyses on a state of the art Thermoquest Triton TI magnetic sector thermal ionization mass spectrometer. Analytical services are also provided through collaboration with other academic institutions in the country. For more details, visit our Research and Information sections.

Lab Kudos:

• Katie Delaney was put on the laboratory's NIH Training Grant.

• Cora Best, Katie Delaney and Yuan Ru all were selected to participate in the American Society of Nutrition's Emerging Leader Poster Competition at the 2017 Experimental Biology meeting.

• Yuan Ru passed her doctoral exam and is now a post-doctoral associate at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. Congrats Yuan!

Lab Alums Update:

• Christine Akoh will start medical school at NYU in Fall 2018.

• Cora Best is pursuing her PhD in Nutritional Sciences and joined the O’Brien Lab in 2014. Her doctoral research aims to improve evaluation of vitamin D status and understanding of vitamin D metabolism during pregnancy. This research consists of 2 projects, a vitamin D supplementation study and a stable isotope tracer study, in collaboration with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Some results of this work have been published. A list of publications and her CV can be found on her bio page.

• Carrie Thomas is currently an Assistant Professor at Regis College.

For Current Members in the O'Brien Laboratory:

Lab Meetings: Tuesdays at 9 am in the HMRU in MVR

Upcoming Due Dates

Nutrition 2019 - American Society for Nutrition's Annual Meeting

The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

International Federation of Placenta Associations

American Society of Hematology
ASH offers premier educational and scientific meetings and workshops for hematology professionals worldwide. Upcoming ASH meetings.

Developmental Origins of Health and Disease
USDOHaD Conference

International BioIron Society:  The 8th Congress of the International BioIron Society will take place May 5-10, 2019 (note the year) in Heidelberg, Germany

For prospective graduate students interested in the Graduate Study in Nutrition program at Cornell, please visit: Graduate Studies