Heewon Gray, PhD

Dr. Gray is an associate professor and the concentration lead for the Community and Family Health PhD concentration. She is a registered dietitian in training (Credential ID No. 959398) and received her PhD in Behavioral Nutrition from Columbia University. Dr. Gray’s research focuses on developing and evaluating obesity prevention and nutrition education intervention programs, especially for children and adolescents. Since she joined USF in 2017, she has conducted several studies as a principal investigator (PI) including a preliminary study to assess dietary intakes, mealtime behaviors, and parental views on eating behaviors of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and a community food assessment project to examine food access and environment in low-income neighborhoods in East Tampa. Her current research projects include nutrition education interventions for children with ASD, Hispanic children with obesity and their parents, and pediatric cancer survivors. 

Dr. Gray is the PI of a R21 grant (R21HD106182) funded by NIH/NICHD that aims to refine and test the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a nutrition intervention for children with ASD and their parents through the Early Intervention Services. She was awarded a grant from the HRSA through UCLA in 2023 to expand the nutrition intervention for the preschooler age group, pilot-testing its implementation feasibility (PI: Gray). She serves as a Co-I for a multi-site NIH/NCI R01 nutrition intervention clinical trial (PI: Stern, R01CA240319) overseeing the study’s dietary intake data collection and management. She was a Co-I for a NIH/NICCIH R34 pilot mindful eating intervention clinical trial (PI: Stern, R34AT010661) and a supplementary project (MPI: Redwine & Stern, R34AT010661-01S1) to assess COVID-19 testing and vaccine uptake attitudes and behaviors among rural Latino migrants in Southwest Florida. She is actively involved in local, national, and international nutrition professional societies. She serves as the Chair of the Division of Nutrition Education for Children at the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior (SNEB) and the Chair of the Journal Committee of SNEB. She received a Professional Achievement Award in Community Nutrition from SNEB in 2019 and a Best Article Award from the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior where she serves as a member of the Editorial Board. She served as the Chair of the Research Division at SNEB and the Nominating Committee of the Florida Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in 2023-2024.

Institution: University of South Florida

Project Title: “Autism Eats: Preschoolers” Nutrition Intervention to Promote Healthy Eating Habits Among Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder – A Feasibility Study

Project Overview: Autistic preschoolers often face problematic mealtime behaviors and feeding challenges that can lead to poor nutrition and chronic health issues like obesity. Early intervention is crucial to prevent these issues and foster healthy eating habits. There is a gap in nutrition interventions tailored for the unique needs of preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To address this, the study assesses the feasibility of "Autism Eats: Preschoolers," an innovative intervention aimed at improving mealtime behaviors. We build upon prior research to refine intervention strategies and conduct a preliminary study with preschoolers and their parents. Despite challenges in tracking direct outcomes due to HIPAA constraints, our use of validated instruments aims to measure the intervention's feasibility and potential to positively influence eating behaviors, aligning with the AIR-P Community-based Lifestyle Interventions Research Nodes.

The study aims to determine the feasibility of an innovative nutrition intervention to reduce problematic mealtime behaviors and promote healthy eating habits among autistic preschoolers. Our long-term goal is to make nutrition intervention resources available to a broader audience of autistic individuals, aiming to reduce the risk of obesity and improve the overall physical health of children with ASD. The objectives of our project are (1) to develop and refine “Autism Eats: Preschoolers” intervention to provide age-appropriate feeding strategies and promote healthy eating behaviors for preschoolers with ASD (ages 3-5 years) and their parents; and (2) to evaluate the feasibility of the “Autism Eats: Preschoolers” with a sample of ethnically diverse preschoolers with ASD and their parents. Once the feasibility is established, we seek additional funding (e.g., NIH R01) to test its efficacy in improving eating behaviors and reducing the lifetime risk of diet-related chronic conditions in individuals with ASD.

Connect:
Website: www.graynutritionlab.com 
Instagram: @graynutritionlab