Ph.D. Student Profile

Molly Mulcahy, MS, RD

Molly Mulcahy, MS, RD

  • Doctoral Candidate
  • Cognate: Molecular and biochemical nutrition

Education

  • BS, Nutrition and Foods, minor in Chemistry, Texas State University - 2016
  • MS, Nutritional Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health - 2018
  • Dietetic Internship, University of Michigan School of Public Health 

Research Interests & Projects

I am interested in how maternal diet and timing of eating and sleeping during pregnancy (chronobiology) impacts maternal metabolic health and offspring through adulthood. My dissertation is multidisciplinary, utilizing both preclinical and human observational methods. My preclinical work involves time-restricted feeding during gestation on maternal glycemia and offspring metabolic health. The observational PRESS study (Pregnancy Related Eating, Sleeping and Stress) is a longitudinal cohort that assesses associations between the timing of eating and sleeping during pregnancy and maternal and child health outcomes. 

Selected Publications

  • Mulcahy, M, Tellez-Rojo, M, Cantoral, A, Solano-González, M, Baylin, A, Bridges, D, Peterson KE,  & Perng, W. (2021). Maternal Carbohydrate Intake During Pregnancy is Associated with Child Peripubertal Markers of Metabolic Health but not Adiposity. Public Health Nutrition, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980021004614
  • Hafner H, Mulcahy MC, Carlson Z, Hartley P, Sun H, Westerhoff M, Qi N, Bridges D, & Gregg B. (2021) Lactational high fat diet in mice causes insulin resistance and NAFLD in Male offspring which is partially rescued by maternal metformin treatment. Frontiers in Nutrition, 8, 951. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2021.759690
  • Carter ME, El Habbal N, Snyder DS, Redd JR, Gregg B, & Bridges D. (2021) 99-OR: Effects of Early Time-Restricted Feeding during Gestation on Offspring Glucose Homeostasis in Mice. Diabetes, 70 (supplement 1) https://doi.org/10.2337/db21-99-or
  • Carlson Z, Hafner H, Mulcahy M, Bullock K, Zhu A, Bridges D, Bernal-Mizrachi E,  & Gregg B. (2020) Lactational metformin exposure programs offspring white adipose tissue glucose homeostasis and resilience to metabolic stress in a sex-dependent manner. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 318(5):E600-E612. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpendo.00473.2019 

Additional Information

I currently serve as a registered dietitian preceptor for nutrition students during patient counseling sessions with the Student Run Free Clinic.  I also am part of both the nutritional sciences departments and school wide Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committees.

CERTIFICATIONS and PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS
  • Registered Dietitian
    Commission on Dietetic Registration (Feb 14, 2020)
  • Certificate of Training
    Central Texas Phlebotomy Institute, LLC (Jun 2014) 
CLRA Level One Tutor
  • College Reading and Learning Association (Spring 2014)
    certified through Student Support Services at Texas State University
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
  • American Society for Nutrition(2014-present), student member 
  • Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (2016-present), early career member
  • American Diabetes Association (2020-presnt), student member
  • Michigan Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (2020-preesent), professional member