Stephanie Wells, N/A, MS, RD, LD

Research Dietitian
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, Texas

I am a registered dietitian with experience in clinical dietetics, research, and community nutrition. In my current position as a research dietitian at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, I help design and implement behavioral studies on physical activity, nutrition, and physical function. These studies include pediatric, adolescent, and young adult participants with a variety of cancer diagnoses. One of my primary roles is to conduct physical function assessments and coordinate the collection of dietary recalls to build a Pediatric Energy Balance Data Repository aimed at using data collected over multiple time-points to inform the creation of physical activity, rehabilitation, and dietary recommendations in the pediatric cancer population. I am also interested in the topic of food insecurity, an issue I have been working to address in a quality improvement initiative and future research protocol aimed at 1) assessing food insecurity prevalence in families of pediatric cancer patients and 2) developing interventions and clinical pathways for referrals to social workers, dietitians, and community agencies involved in food access. Overall, my goal as a research dietitian is to improve the standard of care relating to nutrition and rehabilitation services and to reduce healthcare disparities in underserved cancer populations.