Neha Gondra, a second year double major in NPB and Managerial Economics, won 3rd Place in the 2023 Norma J. Lang Award for Undergraduate Information Research from the UC Davis Library
Neha Gondra, a second year double major in NPB and Managerial Economics, won 3rd Place in the 2023 Norma J. Lang Award for Undergraduate Information Research from the UC Davis Library. Her essay, “Evaluating the Influence of the Mediterranean Diet on Reducing Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Obese Individuals,” was awarded a monetary prize in the category of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics. Her review of literature was a revision of a research project that emerged from a UWP 104F class taught by Brendan Johnston. You can access her essay along with those of the other award winners here: https://library.ucdavis.edu/lang-prize/winners/
Statement from Neha:
As a bariatric surgery research associate at the UC Davis Medical Center, I was familiar with the impact that obesity has in the American population. I chose to investigate the Mediterranean Diet’s impact on cardiovascular health in obese individuals due to the American Heart Association’s statement that the Mediterranean Diet has potential to be used in clinical medicine upon further research. I sought to explore this question further by analyzing and reviewing peer-reviewed research.
Ultimately, I was unable to fully answer my research question with the limited body of prior research. But I recognize that this is an important result. I identified that there was a need to investigate how much of an adherence to the Mediterranean diet is needed for there to be significant decreases in cardiovascular risk in obese patients. Prior research had not directly investigated adherence, which is an important topic in dietary compliance and control. […] I intend to pursue a career in healthcare and hope to also conduct clinical research.