The goal of the Finkelstein Laboratory is to examine the role of iron, vitamin B12, and folate in the etiology of anemia and adverse pregnancy outcomes, to develop interventions to improve the health of mothers and young children.

As part of our maternal and child nutrition research program, we are conducting randomized trials; periconceptional, pregnancy, and pediatric cohort studies; and population-based surveillance programs, with funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Examples of current projects include:

  1. A Randomized Trial of Quadruple Fortified Salt for Anemia and Birth Defects Prevention in Southern India, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

  2. Impact of Multiple Micronutrient-Fortified Salt on Gut Microbiome in Women of Reproductive Age, United States Department of Agriculture

  3. Periconceptional Surveillance for Prevention of Anemia and Birth Defects in India, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

  4. Training in Maternal and Child Nutrition (MPI), National Institutes of Health

  5. Determination of Iron and Inflammation Biomarkers in Saliva, National Institutes of Health

  6. Nutritional Quality of Breast Milk after 6 Months Postpartum in India, National Institutes of Health