Meet the Team

We are a group of energetic and diverse individuals with a passion for understanding how nutrients and genetics influence overall health. Alumni from the lab have continued their careers both in academia and in the private sector. The lab is funded by the NIH, the American Heart Association, and the Busch Biomedical Grant Program and is housed within the Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health (IFNH). We are always interested in welcoming talented postdoctoral fellows and graduate and undergraduate students to the team.

Principal Investigator – Dr. Harini Sampath

Dr. Harini Sampath is Associate Professor of Nutritional Sciences and Scientific Director of the Quantitative Lipidomics Core at the New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health (IFNH). She obtained her Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, followed by postdoctoral work at Oregon Health & Science University, before moving to Rutgers. Her research interests are centered around understanding the role of dietary and endogenous lipids in modulating cellular and organismal metabolism. Her work is published in numerous leading journals and is funded by the NIH and by private foundations such as the American Heart Association. In addition to the research studies in her lab, Harini is passionate about the mentorship of her trainees, ranging from high school students through postdoctoral fellows.

Postdoctoral Fellows

Dr. Priyanka Sharma

Postdoctoral Associate. Lead project: Lipid-mediated regulation of stem cell maintenance in the intestine.

Hobbies: Travel and nature photography.

Dr. Natalie Burchat

Cancer Metabolism and Tumor-Host Interactions T32 grant Postdoctoral Fellow. Lead project: Role of endogenous and dietary lipids in the development of colorectal tumors.

Hobbies: Exercise and cooking.