Michelle Cardel, Ph.D., M.S., RD, FTOS, was recognized as a “True Diversity Champion” at UF’s Graduate Student Research Day on April 2. Cardel is an assistant professor in the department of health outcomes and biomedical informatics at UF’s College of Medicine. She also serves as director of UF’s Obesity Research Alliance and associate director of the UF College of Medicine’s Center for Integrative Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases.
“I am honored to have been recognized as a champion of diversity at UF,” Cardel said. Alex, Lee, a Ph.D. student in the Cardel lab, also presented posters at the event, which is open to graduate students across the UF campus.
Cardel’s research focuses on understanding factors that contribute to the development of obesity and implementing treatment programs for obesity in underserved populations. Her specialties include nutrition, obesity, weight management, pediatric obesity, psychosocial factors contributing to obesity, and health disparities.