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Kelly Cara, PhD
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Population Science
Why I Work at ACS
Leaving work one day, I overheard two ladies talking about cancer, and one said, ‘Well, I guess we’ll all get it someday,’ then they both laughed. I realized in that moment how normalized cancer had become, despite how devastating the disease had been for several of my family members, mentors, and co-workers. I knew I had to do my part to help investigate ways we can all reduce our risk of getting cancer and to educate others.”
At ACS since 2024
Kelly Cara, PhD, is a post-doctoral fellow in the Population Science department at the American Cancer Society (ACS) through a joint appointment with the Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University. Using data from the Cancer Prevention Study (CPS) cohorts, her research focuses on how plant-based dietary patterns contribute to cancer prevention and whether they increase or decrease the risk of developing cancer
Research focus and accomplishments
The heart of my work as a nutrition researcher, educator, and health-supportive chef is my desire to empower people to continuously improve their own health and well-being through lifestyle and behavior changes rooted in sound, scientific evidence.
My primary research interest is on how following a healthy diet over time impacts a person’s health. My doctoral research focused on the role of diet in cognitive outcomes including global cognitive ability, cognitive reserve, and cognitive decline typical of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. At ACS, my focus will turn to cancer-related outcomes and risk factors associated with cancer in the CPS cohorts.
I also have extensive experience conducting systematic literature reviews to inform health and nutrition policy. Of note, I was involved in a large scoping review and subsequent systematic review that supported the joint Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/World Health Organization (WHO) nutrient requirement updates for children aged 0 to 36 months.
In more than a dozen other reviews, I have examined whether certain nutrients, food components, and dietary patterns are associated with health outcomes and overall diet quality.
I was recently honored to receive the Top Reviewer in 2024 award from the American Society for Nutrition publication, Advances in Nutrition.
Publications
For Dr. Cara's publications, visit her Google Scholar, Orcid ID, and LinkedIn.
Contact
- kelly.cara@cancer.org
- 404-248-6364
Work Before ACS
- Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant
- American College of Lifestyle Medicine, Independent Research Consultant
- InsideTracker, Behavioral Scientist and Data Science Intern
- Austin V-Life LLC, Co-Founder and Lifestyle Wellness Educator
- Optimum Health Institute, Curriculum Facilitator and Food Service Worker II
- Natural Epicurean Academy of Culinary Arts, Lead Chef Instructor
- Better Bites Bakery, Quality Improvement and Management Consultant and Bakery Manager
- Missouri State University, Assessment Research Coordinator and Adjunct Faculty
- Lakeland Regional Hospital, Performance Improvement and Risk Management Coordinator
Education
- PhD: Nutrition Epidemiology and Data Science, Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, 2020-2024
- MS: Nutrition Epidemiology and Data Science, Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, 2018-2020
- Certificate: Plant-based Chef, Natural Epicurean Academy of Culinary Arts, 2014-2015
- MS: Psychology - Experimental Track, Missouri State University, 2007-2009
Personal
I live in Atlanta, GA, with my husband of 15+ years and our four surviving house plants. We enjoy traversing the city on foot and exploring new grocery stores, restaurants, coffee shops, and movie theaters. At home, I play, sing, and write music, and lately, you can also find me watching food or fashion competition shows and pretending to be a barista.
