I started my journey as a nutrition scholar in 1974 when I began PhD studies at Cornell University. My journey has been rich with opportunity. I engaged in research on diet-related risks for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer, partly motivated by my strong commitment to addressing health disparities affecting Black Americans. Obesity became my major focus and would eventually involve both US and global lenses. This focus was also linked to other dietary intake issues and health disparities and drew on knowledge I had gained in my prior study and practice of social work. I positioned myself as a bridge builder across nutrition, epidemiology, and public health, advocating for certain new ways of thinking and acting in these spheres and in the academy itself. Life skills honed during my formative years living within racially segregated contexts have been critical to any successes I have achieved.

中文翻译：

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美国黑人营养学者和倡导者：我的旅程

1974 年，我开始在康奈尔大学攻读博士学位，开始了我的营养学者之旅。我的旅程充满了机遇。我从事与饮食相关的心血管疾病、糖尿病和癌症风险的研究，部分原因是我坚定致力于解决影响美国黑人的健康差异。肥胖成为我的主要关注点，并最终涉及美国和全球的视角。这一重点还与其他饮食摄入问题和健康差异相关，并借鉴了我在之前的社会工作学习和实践中获得的知识。我将自己定位为营养学、流行病学和公共卫生领域的桥梁建设者，倡导在这些领域和学术界采取某些新的思维和行动方式。在我的成长岁月里，生活在种族隔离的环境中磨练出来的生活技能对于我取得的任何成功都至关重要。