Our Lab Team

Rachel A Wattick, MS, RDN, PhD(c)
PhD Candidate 
rawattick@mix.wvu.edu

Rachel graduated from WVU in 2018 with a degree in Human Nutrition and Foods and is now a PhD student in the Davis College majoring in Animal and Nutrition Sciences. Her research interests include the role of diet in mental health, culinary medicine, and the Mediterranean Diet in treating and preventing chronic disease. Her future goals include becoming an RDN and working in academia while continuing research on holistic methods to treat or prevent chronic disease. In her free time, she loves to cook, garden, and hang with her cat, Mac and Nellie.

Rachel A Wattick's Presentations & Publications

Ayron E Walker, MS, PhD(c) 
PhD Candidate 
aew0036@mix.wvu.edu

Ayron Walker, MS is a foodie, an outdoor enthusiast, a travel bug and an animal lover that grew up in Henry, VA. She completed her Bachelor's degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Appalachian State University in 2017, continuing to Virginia Tech to complete her graduate work in Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise with a concentration in Community and Behavioral Sciences in 2019. In August 2019, Ayron became a part of the Lifestyle Intervention Research Lab to join the efforts in the Homestyles, D&I Curriculum development and eB4CAST projects at West Virginia University. Ayron’s research interests include dissemination and implementation of knowledge-based programs, food systems, and eating disorders. Ayron's long term career goal is to be a professor teaching a variety of courses in nutrition and foods.

Ayron E Walker Presentations and Publications

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Kasey Yost is a runner and a dog lover. She completed her Bachelor's degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Radford University. A Morgantown native, Kasey joined the Lifestyle Intervention Research Lab in the fall of 2020, assisting with her thesis on identifying diabetes education resources within West Virginia. Kasey is a MS student in Nutritional & Food Sciences planning to graduate in May 2022. she plans to become a registered dietitian after graduation and eventually work in academia.