Valene Garr Barry, MS, a trainee in the UAB School of Health Professions’ Nutrition Sciences Ph.D. program and Pre-doctoral Trainee in the UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC) was recently recognized for submitting a top-scoring abstract to The Obesity Society (TOS). In mid-November, she will present findings from a dietary intervention study in a poster titled, “Greater loss of central adiposity from low-carbohydrate versus low-fat diet in middle-aged adults,” at the meeting in Nashville, TN.

She has been invited to compete in the TOS Early Career Lightening Talks competition, where 12 early career members with top-scoring abstracts will present their work as a three-minute talk. They will be challenged to effectively and efficiently communicate their scientific findings to a broad audience using just one slide. Garr Barry said, “I am grateful for this exciting opportunity,” and she is looking forward to the meeting.

Garr Barry’s research investigates the association between body composition and risk for cardiometabolic disease and methods for early detection of disease risk under the mentorship of Dr. Barbara A. Gower. In the future she aims to study the role of inflammatory response, adiposity, and nutritional stress in the development of pregnancy-induced chronic disease and investigate behavioral and environmental determinants of maternal and offspring health in African-American women.