Alexis Wood, Ph.D, F.A.H.A.
Associate Professor
Positions
- Associate Professor
-
Pediatrics-Nutrition
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX, US
Addresses
- Children's Nutrition Research Center (Office)
-
Room: CNRC-2036
Houston, TX, 77030
United States
Phone: (713) 798-7055
Education
- BS from University of Warwick
- 06/2002 - Coventry, United Kingdom
- Psychology and Philosophy
- MS from Kings College London
- 10/2006 - London
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry
- PhD from Kings College London
- 10/2009 - London
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry
- Post-Doctoral Fellowship at University of Alabama at Birmingham
- 06/2012 - Birmingham, Alabama
- Statistical Genetics, Epidemiology
Honors & Awards
- Conference Award Finalist
- MD Anderson Energy Balance Retreat (02/2014)
- Scott Grundy Award for Excellence in Metabolism Research
- American Heart Association (03/2013)
- 2nd place
- UAB Annual Postdoctoral Research Day (02/2012)
- 1st Place
- NORC “Creativity is Decision" (06/2011)
- 1st Place
- Center for Cardiovascular Disease Biology Annual Retreat (05/2011)
- 2nd place
- Center for Cardiovascular Disease Biology Annual Retreat (05/2011)
- 1st Place
- SOPH 3rd Annual Public Health Research day (04/2011)
- Young Investigator Award Finalist
- American Heart Association EPI/NPAM conference (03/2011)
- Young Investigator Award
- 2nd Annual International Congress on ADHD (05/2009)
- Best paper winner
- Our paper "Cognitive performance and BMI: shared genetics between BMI and reaction time, but not response inhibition, across childhood" was selected as one of 6 winning entries to the society's annual conference and featured in a special symposium.
- The Obesity Society (11/2014)
- Associate Faculty Member F1000 Prime
- Appointed an Associate Faculty Member of the Faculty of 1000 http://f1000.com/
- F1000 Prime (09/2014)
- Mark Bieber Award for Excellence in Nutrition Research
- American Heart Association (03/2015)
- Fellow of The American Heart Association
- (09/2017)
- Young Investigator Award
- Baylor College of Medicine -- Department of Pediatrics (12/2020)
- Top abstract
- CVRI annual conference (04/2017)
- Top rated abstract
- Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research Investigator Meeting (12/2025)
- Research Mentor Champion
- Student Opportunities for Advancement in Research (SOAR) Office at Baylor College of Medicine (12/2025)
- Outstanding Reviewer Award
- Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (10/2025)
Professional Statement
My research focuses on analyzing complex biological data such as genome, epigenome, transcriptome, metabolome, and proteome to explore how environmental and behavioral factors influence chronic diseases. I am particularly interested in cognitive development and decline, including Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias (ADRD), as well as type 2 diabetes (T2D). My overarching aim is to advance Precision Medicine by improving disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment strategies.
Selected Publications
-
The need for greater rigor in childhood nutrition and obesity research " JAMA Peds. 2019 ; 173 (4) : 311-2.
-
Djonlagic I, Mariani S, Fitzpatrick AL, Van Der Klei VMGTH, Johnson DA, Wood AC, et al. " Macro and micro sleep architecture and cognitive performance in older adults " Nat Hum Behav. 2021 ; 5 (1)
Pubmed PMID: 33199858. -
Wood AC, Blissett JM, Brunstrom JM, Carnell S, Faith MS, Fisher JO, Hayman LL, Khalsa AS, Hughes SO, Miller AL, Momin SR, Welsh JA, Woo JG, Haycraft E. " Caregiver influences on eating behaviors in young children: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association " J Am Heart Assoc. 2020 ; 9 (10)
Pubmed PMID: 32389066. -
Wood, A. C., Graca, G., Gadgil, M., Senn, M. K., Allison, M. A., Tzoulaki, I., ... & Herrington, D. (2023).. " Untargeted metabolomic analysis investigating links between unprocessed red meat intake and markers of inflammation " AJCN. 2023 ; 13 (3) : 989-999.
Pubmed PMID: 37660929.
Memberships
- American Heart Association
- American Society of Nutrition
Funding
-
Longitudinal associations of preschoolers’ technology and digital media (TDM) use and executive functioning: a mechanism linking TDM with young children’s weight status
#NIH P01 HD109876 - (09/09/2022 - 09/08/2027)
- Grant funding from NIH-NICHD
- MPI: Wood, Hughes & Bridgett (BCM / CNRC) Role: MPI (Contact)
-
Molecular Markers of Beef Intake: A Personalized Nutrition Approach to Understanding the Relationship of Red Meat to Health
#70348-I - (10/01/2023 - 06/30/2026)
- Beef Checkoff
- PI: Wood (BCM / CNRC) Role: PI
-
Subclinical Vascular Contributions to Alzheimer's Disease: The Multi Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) Multisite Study of AD
#R01 AG058969 - (07/01/2024 - 06/30/2029)
- NIH-NIA
- MPI: Hughes, Liu, Luchsinger, Hayden (Wake Forest) Role: Site PI
-
Longitudinal Omics-Based Trajectories of Type 2 Diabetes Subtypes: The T2D Heterogeneity Consortium
#U01 DK058969 - (07/01/2024 - 06/30/2029)
- NIH-NIDDK
- MPI: Manning, Wood, Qi, Rotter (Massachusetts General Hospital) Role: MPI
-
Multiethnic and multiomics analysis of longitudinal changes in DNA methylation and Cardiovascular health
#1R01HL176728-01A1 - (09/17/2025 - 09/16/2029)
- Grant funding from NIH-NHLBI
- PI: Ma (Tufts University / USDA-ARS) Role: Site PI
-
Diet and Neurocognitive Development: A Metabolomic Enhanced Analysis
#3092-51000-063-000D - (09/01/2024 - 08/31/2029)
- Grant funding from USDA/ARS
- PI: Wood (BCM / CNRC) Role: PI
-
Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), Coordinating Center – Task Area A – Core Study Operations
#75N92020D00001-0-759202500001-1 - (04/12/2025 - 04/11/2034)
- Grant funding from NIH-NHLBI
-
Metal Exposures, Omics, and Ad/ADRD Risk in Diverse US Adults
#NIH 1R01 AG093805-01 - (02/01/2026 - 07/31/2029)
- Grant funding from NIH-NIA
- MPI: Navas-Acien, Huges, Palta, Trotter, Yu (Columbia University) Role: Site PI
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