People

Laura Coats

Year: 3 PhD

Academic background

Graduated from Mississippi State University in 2012 with a BS in secondary education
Graduated from Mississippi State University in 2016 with a MS in food science, nutrition, and health promotion
Received a certificate in Nutrition Supervised Practice from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2016

Research and personal statement

I began my college career wanting to become a teacher. However, after a short period teaching high school science classes, I knew that I wanted to further my education. My science background led me to pursue a master's degree in nutrition and seek certification as a registered dietitian. My experiences in nutrition allowed me to understand and observe the link between nutrition and chronic diseases. These experiences instilled the desire to discover the means to manage and prevent chronic diseases through nutrition. UMMC will provide me with the research and educational opportunities to further understand and identify the physiological relationships between nutrition and chronic diseases.