Discovering her passion

Annie Antonov came to the University of Delaware thinking she wanted to be a physician assistant or a doctor. She chose UD's College of Health Sciences for its wide array of pre-health majors.

"CHS was so unique, and I knew UD had the resources to allow me to be successful," she said.

She began her journey as a medical diagnostics major but discovered her true passion after taking a Nutrition Concepts course, which inspired her to switch her major to nutrition and medical sciences.

"I fell in love with nutrition," she said. "I love the focus on the science behind what we eat and how it fuels the body and affects health long-term."

Antonov, who graduated from UD in May of 2024, is now a clinical research coordinator and lab safety officer at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. At the Abigail Wexner Research Institute, she recruits pregnant women for the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program, a nationwide study designed to improve pediatric health. Nationwide Children's Hospital is one of more than 75 cohort sites across the country.

"It's a huge dataset, and future researchers will use it to uncover new variables that impact childhood health outcomes," Antonov said.

This year marks a significant milestone for Antonov's team.

"Our first baby [turned] 1 in July!" exclaimed Antonov. "So, we're fairly new, but we aim to collect survey data, biospecimens, and track height and weight to better understand how children grow and determine what influences in their environment, household or genetics may affect their overall health outcomes."