Michelle Dunk

Michelle Dunk is a postdoctoral researcher in Weili Xu’s Medical Epidemiology group. Through her research, she aims to identify lifestyle-related strategies to promote healthy aging. She is especially interested in plant-based nutrition and the role of diet in chronic disease development. Her current research examines relationships between dietary patterns, cardiometabolic risk factors, and dementia.

Michelle earned a BS in Psychology and Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Denver. She then completed an MS and PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. Her doctoral research focused on the involvement of dietary cholesterol and fat, blood lipids, and oxysterols in APOE-related risk for Alzheimer’s disease.