Julia Finkelstein
Associate Professor, Nutritional Sciences

About
Dr. Julia Finkelstein is the Follett Sesquicentennial Faculty Fellow and Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition in the Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University. Dr. Finkelstein is Deputy Director of the affiliate Cochrane Centre for Nutrition and co-leads the PAHO/World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Nutrition at Cornell University. She is also an adjunct Associate Professor at St. John's Research Institute, St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences in Bangalore, India. She received her Bachelor of Science from McGill University, Master of Public Health degree from Brown University, and Master and Doctor of Science degrees in Epidemiology and Nutrition from Harvard University.
Dr. Finkelstein is an epidemiologist with expertise in the design and conduct of randomized clinical trials, cohort studies, and surveillance programs in resource-limited settings. The goal of the Finkelstein Laboratory is to elucidate the role of iron, vitamin B12, and folate in the etiology of anemia and adverse pregnancy outcomes, and inform the development of interventions to improve the health of mothers and young children.
Dr. Finkelstein was awarded the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) North America Future Leader Award in 2017. She has served as an external expert for the World Health Organization Nutrition Guidelines Group, Chair of the B-vitamins and One-Carbon Metabolism symposium at the Experimental Biology conference, expert consultant for the World Health Organization, and NIH reviewer for the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
Education
- Doctor of Science, Harvard University, 2011
- Master of Science, Harvard University, 2010
- Master of Public Health, Brown University, 2005
- Bachelor of Science, McGill University, 2002
Interests
Epidemiology
Nutrition
Randomized clinical trials, cohort studies & surveillance programs
Courses Taught
- NS3600 / NS5600: Epidemiology
- NS6310: Micronutrients: Function, Homeostasis and Assessment: B-Vitamins section
- NS6200: Translational Research and Evidence-based Policy and Practice in Nutrition
- NS4010 : Empirical Research
- NS6010 : Special Topics for Graduate Students
Contact Information
218 Savage Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
jfinkelstein [at] cornell.edu
- Fothergill A*, Crider KS, Rose CE, Bose B, Guetterman HM*, Johnson CB, Jabbar S, Zhang M, Pfeiffer CM, Qi YP, Williams JL, Kuriyan R, Bonam W, Finkelstein JL. Estimating the serum folate concentration associated with the red blood cell folate concentration threshold for optimal neural tube defects prevention: A population-based biomarker survey in women of reproductive age in Southern India. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In press.
- Finkelstein JL, Guetterman HM*, Fothergill A*, Johnson CB, Qi YP, Jabbar S, Zhang M, Pfeiffer CM, Rose CE, Yeung LF, Williams JL, Krisher JT, Ruth C, Choudhury DR+, Venkatramanan S, Haas JD, Kuriyan R, Mehta S, Bonam W, Crider KS. A Randomized Trial of Quadruple Fortified Salt for Anemia and Birth Defects Prevention in Southern India: Protocol Design and Methods. Current Developments in Nutrition. In press.
- Fothergill A*, Crider KS, Johnson CB, Raj MP, Guetterman HM*, Bose B, Rose CE, Qi YP, Williams JL, Kuriyan R, Bonam W, Finkelstein JL. Comparison of Anemia Screening Methods Using Paired Venous Samples in Women of Reproductive Age in Southern India. Journal of Nutrition. 2022 Sep 20: nxac218. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxac218. PMID: 36130238.
- Finkelstein JL, Fothergill A*, Guetterman HM*, Johnson CB, Bose B, Qi YP, Rose CE, Williams JL, Mehta S, Kuriyan R, Bonam W, and Crider KS. Iron Status and Inflammation in Women of Reproductive Age: A Population-Based Biomarker Survey and Clinical Study. Clinical Nutrition ESPEN. 2022 Mar 4: doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnesp.2022.02.123. PMID: 35623855.
- Finkelstein JL, Fothergill A*, Johnson CB, Guetterman HM*, Bose B, Ruth C, Jabbar S, Zhang M, Pfeiffer CM, Qi YP, Rose CE, Williams JL, Bonam W, Crider KS. Anemia and Vitamin B-12 and Folate Status in Women of Reproductive Age in Southern India: Estimating Population-Based Risk of Neural Tube Defects. Current Developments in Nutrition. 2021 Apr 26;5(5): nzab069. doi: 10.1093/cdn/nzab069. PMID: 34027296.
- Finkelstein JL, Fothergill A*, Krisher JT, Thomas T, Kurpad AV, Dwarkanath P. Maternal vitamin B12 deficiency and perinatal outcomes in southern India. PLoS One. 2021 Apr 6;16(4):e0248145. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248145. eCollection 2021. PMID: 33822790.
- Guetterman HM*, Huey SL, Knight R, Fox AM^, Mehta S, and Finkelstein JL. Vitamin B-12 and the Gastrointestinal Microbiome: A Systematic Review. Advances in Nutrition. 2021 Oct 6. 2022 Mar; 13:2: 530–558. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmab123. PMID: 34612492.
- Bandyopadhyay S+, Puttaswamy D, Phillip MP, J Jaykumar, Finkelstein JL, Selvam S, Kurpad AV, Kuriyan R. Estimation of hydration and density of fat-free mass in Indian children using a 4-compartment model: Implications for the estimation of body composition using 2-compartment models. Journal of Nutrition. 2022. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2022.12.025.
- Mehta S, Huey SL, McDonald D, Knight R, and Finkelstein JL. Nutritional Interventions and the Gut Microbiome in Children. Annual Review of Nutrition. 2021 Oct 11;41:479-510. doi: 10.1146/annurev-nutr-021020-025755. PMID: 34283919.
- Mehta S, Huey SL, Ghugre PS, Potdar RD, Venkatramanan S, Krisher JT, Ruth CJ, Chopra HV, Thorat A, Thakker V, Johnson L, Powis L, Raveendran Y, Haas JD, Finkelstein JL, Udipi SA; Project Sabal. A randomized trial of iron- and zinc-biofortified pearl millet-based complementary feeding in children aged 12 to 18 months living in urban slums. Clinical Nutrition. 2022 Feb 24;41(4):937-947. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2022.02.014. PMID: 35299084.
- Caniglia EC, Zash R, Swnson SA, Smith E, Sudfeld C, Finkelstein JL, Diseko M, Mayondi G, Mmalane M, Makhema J, Fawzi WW Lockman S, Shapiro RL. Iron, folic acid, and multiple micronutrient supplementation strategies during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes in Botswana. Lancet Global Health. The Lancet Global Health. 2022 June; 10(6): e850 - e861. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(22)00126-7.
- Srinivasan B, Finkelstein JL, Erickson D, Mehta S. Point-of-Care Quantification of Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein for Screening Birth Defects in Resource-Limited Settings: Proof-of-Concept Study. JMIR Biomedical Engineering. 2021 Jan-Mar;6(1): e23527. PMID: 34746648.
- Colt S, Finkelstein JL, Gannon BM, Zambrano MP, Andrade, JK, Centeno-Tablante E*, August A, Erickson D, Cárdenas WB, Mehta S. Vitamin A status, inflammation adjustment, and immunologic response in the context of acute febrile illness: A pilot cohort study among pediatric patients. Clinical Nutrition. 2021 May;40(5):2837-2844. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2021.03.023. PMID: 33933750.
- Huey SL, Yu EA, Finkelstein JL, Brannon PM, Glesby MJ, Bonam W, Russell DG, Mehta S. Nutrition, Inflammation, and the Gut Microbiota among Outpatients with Active Tuberculosis Disease in India. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Hyg. 2021 Oct 18;105(6):1645–56. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.21-0310. PMID: 34662867.
- Centeno-Tablante E*, Medina-Rivera M, Finkelstein JL, Rayco-Solon P, Garcia-Casal MN, Rogers L, Ghezzi-Kopel K, Ridwan P, Peña-Rosas JP, Mehta S. Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through breast milk and breastfeeding: a living systematic review. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 2021 Jan;1484(1):32-54. doi: 10.1111/nyas.14477. PMID: 32860259.
Leadership Positions
Deputy Director, Affiliate Cochrane Centre for Nutrition
Associate Director, PAHO | World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Nutrition Research for Health
Scientific Advisory Boards, Panels, and Consensus Committees
External Expert, World Health Organization Nutrition Guideline Group Advisory Board Member, WorldMapSteering Committee, Harvard University Expert Consultant, World Health Organization
Adjunct Faculty Appointments
Associate Professor, Division of Epidemiology, Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medical College
Associate Professor (Adjunct), St. John’s Research Institute, St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, Bangalore, India
- Associate Director, World Health Organization | PAHO Collaborating Centre for Nutrition Research for Health
- Deputy Director, affiliate Cochrane Center for Nutrition
Julia in the news

News
An interdisciplinary team led by Cornell has received a five-year grant to launch a new center for engineering, testing and commercializing point-of-care diagnostic devices that will have international reach.
- Nutritional Sciences
- Health + Nutrition

News
- Department of Global Development
- Nutritional Sciences
- Environment