- Assistant Teaching Professor in Nutritional Sciences, Penn State
Dr. Elfakhani is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences in the College of Health and Human Development at The Pennsylvania State University. Her teaching interests range from the core nutrition courses, such as Introductory Principles of Nutrition and Nutrition Education and Behavior Change Theory to more specialized courses, such as Food and Culture and Functional Foods. She is also a Registered Dietitian and a Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist in Pennsylvania and Georgia.
Dr. Elfakhani earned a PhD in Nutrition from Texas Woman’s University in May 2013 with a minor in Molecular Biology. Her doctoral research investigated the inhibitory impact of geranylgeraniol and lovastatin on the differentiation of murine 3T3-F442A preadipocytes and she examined underlying mechanisms impacting adipocyte differentiation. She also worked on several other projects involving the investigation of the role of cottonseed derived isoprenoids (via down-regulation of the mevalonate pathway) on tumor cell proliferation, using cancer (melanoma, prostate, pancreatic) cell lines. From 2013 - 2017, she completed two post-doctoral research fellow positions, one in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Calgary and another in the Department of Nutrition in the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions at Georgia State University.
Experience
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2021–presentAssistant Teaching Professor, The Pennsylvania State University
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2020–2021Clinical Dietitian, Embassy Healthcare
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2020–2020Clinical Dietitian, Kennestone Hospital
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2017–2018Adjunct Instructor, Georgia State University
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2015–2017Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Georgia State University
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2013–2014Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Calgary
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2008–2013Teaching Assistant, Texas Woman's University
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2008–2012Research Assistant, Texas Woman's University
Education
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2019Iowa State University, Dietetic Internship
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2013Texas Woman's University, PhD in Nutrition
Professional Memberships
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
- American Society for Nutrition
- Pennsylvania Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
- Texas Woman's University Alumni Association
Contact Manal for
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- Location: State College, PA
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