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Mercy E Sosanya
PhD Candidate, Freeland-Graves Lab; Harrington Dissertation Fellow; Provost's Early Career Fellow-
Mercy Sosanya is a PhD candidate in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to joining UT, she spent 13 years as a lecturer, and two years as the Head of the Nutrition and Dietetics Department at the Federal Polytechnic in Bauchi, Nigeria. She earned a Bachelors and a Masters in Human Nutrition from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Mercy is a Provost’s Early Career Fellow and a Donald D. Harrington Dissertation Fellow; a Fellow of TechWomen, a program of the US Department of State; and an International Fellow of the American Association of University Women. She is also a PEO Foundation International Peace Scholar and a Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future Fellow. Mercy has served in several state, regional and national nutrition policy committees in Nigeria, and as a consultant to multilateral non-governmental organizations.
Mercy’s research focuses on investigating the multidimensional determinants of malnutrition and food insecurity in low-income households, and designing culturally appropriate interventions to ameliorate undernutrition in rural communities. Using indigenous foods and resources, she has formulated ready-to-use therapeutic foods and other products, which have been displayed at educational exhibitions. Mercy has developed, and is presently evaluating the impact of a mobile gaming app called BabyThrive, on the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of Nigerian teenage mothers concerning child feeding. Additionally, she is studying the effects of utilization of the app by these mothers, on the anthropometric and micromineral status of their children (0 – 2 years). Mercy hopes to contribute to building the nutrition knowledge base in developing countries and influencing global nutrition policy formulation. Through Mercy’s outreaches using videos, success stories, hands-on activities, trainings and workshops, she has inspired over a thousand secondary school girls to become problem solvers through Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Mercy’s favorite maxim is “the sky is big enough for every star to shine in”.
Education
- PhD candidate in Nutritional Sciences (in progress)
- MSc: Human Nutrition
- BSc: Human Nutrition
- Certificate in Global Health: Monitoring and Evaluation Fundamentals
- Certificate in Food Safety for Nutritionists and other Health Professionals
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DISSERTATION: Impact of a mobile gaming app on the infant and young child feeding practices and nutritional status of Nigerian teenage mothers and their children (0-2 years)
CURRENT RESEARCH INTERESTS
Major areas of research interest are: 1) investigating the multidimensional determinants of undernutrition and food insecurity in low income households; 2) exploring the impact of mobile technologies on infant and young child feeding practices; 3) identifying and evaluating indigenous food resources that can improve nutrient intakes in rural communities; 4) designing and implementing culturally acceptable nutrition interventions to improve the nutritional status of vulnerable populations such as women and children.
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Peer-reviewed Journals
- Sosanya ME, Beamon I, Muhammad R, Freeland-Graves JH. Development and validation of the Teen Moms Child Feeding Questionnaire for Sub-Saharan Africa. BMC Public Health 2023:23;1487. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16365-5
- Sosanya ME, Freeland-Graves JH, Gbemileke AO, Adeosun FF, Samuel FO, Shokunbi OS. Characterization of traditional foods and diets in rural areas of Bauchi State, Nigeria: analysis of nutrient components. Eur J Nut & Food Safety [Internet]. 2021;13(7):1 - 16. Available from: https://journalejnfs.com/index.php/EJNFS/article/view/603/1210
- Freeland-Graves JH, Sachdev PK, Binderberger AZ, Sosanya ME. Global Diversity of Dietary Intakes and Standards for Zinc, Iron, and Copper. J Trace Elem Med Bio. 2020: 61;126515. https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0946-672X(20)30080-8
- Sosanya ME, Nweke OG and Ifitezue LC. Formulation and evaluation of ready-to-use therapeutic foods using locally available ingredients in Bauchi, Nigeria. Eur J Nut & Food Safety. 2018: 8 (1); 1-10. https://journalejnfs.com/index.php/EJNFS/article/view/49/98
- Sosanya ME, Adeosun FF, Okafor DT and Ifitezue LC. Positive Deviance—An Expeditious Tool for Action to Ameliorate Malnutrition in Resource-Poor Settings. Journal of Nutritional Ecology and Food Research 2017: 4 (2); 178-187. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325885211_Positive_Deviance-An_Expeditious_Tool_for_Action_to_Ameliorate_Malnutrition_in_Resource-Poor_Settings
- Fadupin GT, Sosanya ME and Atinmo T. Body mass index, nutrient intakes and serum antioxidant status of elderly men with and without benign prostatic hyperplasia in Ibadan, Nigeria. Asian J Clin Nutr 2017: 9 (3); 124-130. https://scialert.net/fulltext/?doi=ajcn.2017.124.130
- Ifitezue LC and Sosanya ME. Nutritional assessment of children orphaned from HIV/AIDS and implementing a food-based intervention to improve their nutritional status in Bauchi metropolis, Nigeria. JAHR 2015:7(9); 130-137. https://academicjournals.org/journal/JAHR/article-full-text-pdf/04BB5ED55500
- Sosanya ME and Ibrahim A. Sanitary practices, nutritional and health status of street children in Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State, Nigeria. International Proceedings of Chemical, Biological & Environmental Society. 2014: 71; 67-71. https://www.streetchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Sanitary-Practices-Nutritional-and-Health-Status-of-Street-Children-in-Matazu-Nigeria.pdf
- Sosanya ME, Adeosun F and Ayuba A. Infant feeding practices and their determinants among mothers living with HIV/AIDS in Bauchi metropolis. NJNS, 2014: 35 (2); 5-18. https://www.ajol.info/index.php/njns/article/view/166478
- Sosanya ME, Fadupin GT, Atinmo T, Shittu OB. Antioxidant status of male adults with and without prostate cancer in Ibadan, Nigeria. Food Nutr Sci, 2014: 5; 516-524. https://www.scirp.org/pdf/FNS_2014031109530386.pdf
- Ayo J.A, Onuoha G, Agu H, Ayo V.A, Avu E.O, Sosanya M, and Adeosun F. Effect of added beneseed paste on the quality of millet-based masa, Afri J Food Sci Tech 2012: 3 (10); 236-243. https://www.interesjournals.org/articles/effect-of-added-beneseed-paste-on-the-qualityof-milletbased-masa.pdf
- Ayo JA, Adeosun FF, Sosanya M, Ayo VA and Ajayi G. Nutritional evaluation of soybean-acha composite biscuits using Wistar rats. Int J Food Agric Res 2009: 6; 13-21
Manuscripts in Press:
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Sosanya ME, Samuel FO, Bashir S, Omoera VO and Freeland-Graves J. BabyThrive: Development and validation of a child feeding mobile gaming app for teenage mothers in Nigeria. Submitted to Journal of Medical Internet Research.
- Sosanya ME, Freeland-Graves JH, Gbemileke AO, Adesanya DO, Akinyemi OO, Ojezele SO, Samuel FO. Why Acute Undernutrition? A Qualitative Assessment of Factors Underlying Food Consumption among Adolescent Girls in Rural Communities in Bauchi State, Nigeria. Submitted to Nutrients.
- Sosanya ME, Samuel TC, Ugwu-Anyanwu KC, and Freeland-Graves JH. Creation and psychometric evaluation of the Teen Moms Child Feeding Readiness to Change Questionnaire for Sub-Saharan Africa. Submitted to the British Journal of Nutrition.
Manuscripts in Preparation:
- Sosanya ME, Gbemileke A, Freeland-Graves JH and Bray MS. Infant and young child feeding practices of agricultural households in rural areas of three senatorial districts in Bauchi, Nigeria.
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AWARDS/FELLOWSHIPS/SCHOLARSHIPS:
2023
Provost’s Early Career Fellowship awarded by the University of Texas at Austin
2023
Donald D. Harrington Dissertation Fellowship, awarded by the University of Texas at Austin - $50,000
2022
Reimagining Professional Development Award for the project “Mentee-Centered Professional Growth Program for Female Minority PhD Students” received from Texas Career Engagement, University of Texas at Austin - $4,000
2022
Donald D. Harrington Dissertation Fellowship, awarded by the University of Texas at Austin - $45,000
2022
Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future Fellowship - $35,069
2021
Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future Fellowship - $23,819
2021
International Peace Scholarship of the PEO Foundation - $12,500
2021
University of Texas at Austin Graduate Dean's Prestigious Fellowship Supplement - $1000
2021
Graduate School Continuing Fellowship of the University of Texas at Austin - $9,226
2021
First Place Prize in the Nutritional Sciences Retreat Poster Competition at the Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Texas at Austin - $100
2020
Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future Fellowship - $17,888
2020
International Peace Scholarship of the PEO Foundation - $12,500
2020
University of Texas at Austin Graduate Dean's Prestigious Fellowship Supplement - $1000
2020
School Advisory Council Fellowship and the Human Ecology Director's Discretionary Fellowship from the School of Human Ecology, University of Texas at Austin for Summer 2020 - $7023.
2019
University of Texas at Austin Graduate Dean's Prestigious Fellowship Supplement - $1000
2019
Margaret A. Eppright Professional Development Fellowship and Dorothy Maierhofer Sherrill Miller Excellence Fellowship from the Department of Nutritional Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin - $7,000
2019
2019-2020 Margaret McNamara Educational Grant - $15,000 (I declined accepting this grant to enable me accept the Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future grant)
2018
International Fellowship of the American Association of University Women, for PhD studies at the University of Texas at Austin, Texas - $20,000
2018
University of Texas at Austin Graduate Dean's Prestigious AAUW Fellowship Supplement - $1000
2018
Department of Nutritional Sciences Travel Fellowship to Present a Poster at the 2018 Annual Scientific Conference of the American Society for Nutrition - $580
2016
Scholarship by TechWomen and the Meera Kaul Foundation to attend the 2016 Women in STEM 2016 Conference in Dubai - $500
2015
Techwomen Emerging Leader Fellowship of the United States Department of State
2014
Travel Grant awarded by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund Nigeria, to present a poster at the 2014 Advances and Controversies in Clinical Nutrition Conference of the American Society for Nutrition
2009
MSc Scholarship from the Education Trust Fund of the Federal Government of Nigeria, to study Human Nutrition at the University of Ibadan - $1,850
1999
Departmental Award for the Best Graduating Student in the Department of Human Nutrition, University of Ibadan
1999
Chief Michael Akinyele Memorial Award for the Best Graduating Student in the Department of Human Nutrition, University of Ibadan
GRANTS
Current Funding:
Agency: Schlumberger Foundation
Role: Faculty for the Future Fellow
Dates: August 2022 – July 2023
Title: Mobile app to reduce undernutrition in children (0-2 years) of teenage mothers in Nigeria
Amount: $35,069
Previous Grants/Research Funding:
Agency: Schlumberger Foundation
Role: Faculty for the Future Fellow
Dates: August 2021 – July 2022
Title: Mobile app to reduce undernutrition in children (0-2 years) of teenage mothers in Nigeria
Amount: $23,818
Agency: Schlumberger Foundation
Role: Faculty for the Future Fellow
Dates: August 2020 – July 2021
Title: Mobile app to reduce undernutrition in children (0-2 years) of teenage mothers in Nigeria
Amount: $17,888
Agency: Schlumberger Foundation
Role: Faculty for the Future Fellow
Dates: August 2019 – July 2020
Title: Mobile app to reduce undernutrition in children (0-2 years) of teenage mothers in Nigeria
Amount: $50,000
Agency: Oxfam LINE Project, Bauchi, Bauchi State, Nigeria
Role: Research Consultant
Dates: May 2017 – August 2017
Title: Assessment of Food Types Commonly Consumed in Bauchi State and their Nutritional Values
Amount: $5,300
Agency: Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Nigeria
Role: Principal Investigator
Dates: January 2016 - August 2018
Title: Development and Validation of an Indigenous Electronic Food Exchange List for Persons Living with Diabetes in Northern Nigeria
Amount $5,300
Agency: Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Nigeria
Role: Co-Principal Investigator
Dates: January 2016 - August 2018
Title: Impact of Macroeconomic Variables on the Food Security and Nutritional Status of Farming Households in Bauchi and Dass L.G.A of Bauchi State
Amount: $5,300
Agency: Youth with Innovation in Nigeria (YouWiN) Business Program, Nigeria
Role: Principal Investigator, Business grant winner, founder/CEO
Dates: 2013 - 2018
Title: Developing therapeutic food products for undernutrition, starting up and administering a company (NutriHeal Integrated Concept) to manufacture and market the products
Amount: $26,300
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Conference Presentations and Posters:
- Freeland-Graves JH, Sosanya ME. Development of a Game-based, Mobile App to Improve Child Feeding in Sub-Saharan Africa. Nutrition 2023: Annual Scientific Conference of the American Society for Nutrition, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, 21 – 25 July, 2023
- Freeland-Graves JH, Sosanya ME. Is The Teen Moms Child Feeding Readiness to Change Questionnaire for Sub-Saharan Africa a Psychometrically Valid Instrument for Evaluating Stages of Behavioral Change? Nutrition 2023: Annual Scientific Conference of the American Society for Nutrition
- Sosanya ME, Freeland-Graves JH, Gbemileke AA, Shokunbi O, Leshi O, Akinyemi O, Samuel FO. Does Agricultural Food Production Reflect the Diversity of Diets in Bauchi, Nigeria? Annual Scientific Conference of the American Society for Nutrition, June 2022, USA. Curr Dev Nutr. 2022: 6(1); 175.
- Leshi O, Ande B, Desmennu A, Leshi M, Sosanya M. Game-Based Intervention to Improve Knowledge on the Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables of In-School Adolescents Attending the International School, Ibadan, Nigeria. Annual Scientific Conference of the American Society for Nutrition, June 2022, USA. Curr Dev Nutr. 2022: 6(1); 849.
- Sosanya ME, Freeland-Graves JH, Ayodele Gbemileke A, Adesanya OD, Samuel FO. Why are you so thin? Exploring individual and household level factors of adolescent girls’ food consumption in rural Bauchi, northern Nigeria. Annual Scientific Conference of the American Society for Nutrition, June 2021, USA. Curr Dev Nutr. 2021: 5(2); 182.
- Sosanya ME, Freeland-Graves JH, Gbemileke A, Adeosun FF, Shokunbi OS. Proximate and mineral composition of traditional, composite foods consumed in rural areas of Bauchi State, Nigeria. Annual Scientific Conference of the American Society for Nutrition, June 2020, USA. Curr Dev Nutr. 2020: 4(2);780.
- Sosanya ME, Gbemileke A, Freeland-Graves JH, Bray MS. Determinants of Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices of Rural Farming Households in Bauchi State, Nigeria. Annual Scientific Conference of the American Society for Nutrition, June 2019, Baltimore, USA.
- Sosanya ME, Dahiru FP and Hassan KM. A Comparison of the Food Security Status and Macronutrient Intakes of Female-headed and Male-headed Households in Bauchi Local Government Area in Nigeria. International Women in Science Without Borders Conference, Johannesburg, South Africa, 21-23 March 2018
- Sosanya ME and Hassan KM. Food Security and Nutritional Status of Households in an urban and rural settlement in Bauchi Local Government Area. 47th Annual General Conference of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria. September 2017, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Sosanya ME, Adeosun FF, Okafor DT, Fadupin GT, Mohammed AI, Yakubu RG. Development of an indigenous food exchange list for selected foods commonly consumed in northern Nigeria. 10th International Conference on Healthcare, Nursing and Disease Management (HNDM). Feb 22-23, 2017, Dubai
- Participant and Pitch Presenter, Women in STEM Conference, held in Dubai 25th to 26th October 2016
- Sosanya ME, Nweke GO and Ifitezue LC. Formulation and evaluation of Ready-to-use Therapeutic foods using locally available ingredients. 2nd World Nutrition Congress of the World Public Health Nutrition Association, held in Cape Town, South Africa, 30th August to 2nd September 2016
- Sosanya ME and Akinola LO. Assessment of aflatoxin content of some selected food items and intake among adults in Bauchi metropolis. 46th Annual General Conference of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria. September 2016, Makurdi, Nigeria
- Sosanya ME and Adamu FM. Evaluation of the consumption of flavour enhancers and the relationship with blood pressure in Bauchi. 45th Annual National Workshop and Scientific Conference of The Institute for Dietetics in Nigeria November 2016, Bauchi
- Akinola Lukman Olalekan, Adebusoye Sunday Michael, Kadiri Bathsheba and Sosanya ME. Assessment of Ochratoxin-A and Total Aflatoxin Content of Some Freshly Harvested and Stored Food Items in Bauchi Metropolis. 45th Annual National Workshop and Scientific Conference of The Institute for Dietetics in Nigeria, November 2016, Bauchi
- Onuoha OG, Sosanya ME, Samuel. IE, Okafor TD and Mahmoud AA. Assessment of the knowledge and attitude of patients living with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus attending the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi. 45th Annual National Workshop and Scientific Conference of The Institute for Dietetics in Nigeria, November 2016, Bauchi
- Okafor, TD, Sosanya ME and Shehu NB. Comparative study of nutritional status of under-five children in a rural and urban area in Bauchi metropolis. 45th Annual Scientific Conference & General Meeting of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, September 2015, Lagos, Nigeria
- Sosanya ME and Augustine H. Infant and young child feeding practices and their socio-economic correlates among mothers in Birnin Kudu town of Jigawa State, Nigeria. 44th Annual Scientific Conference & General Meeting of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, September 2014, Owerri, Nigeria
- Sosanya ME, Suyum AL and Ifitezue LC. Rapid Childhood Malnutrition alleviation through a positive deviance approach. American Society for Nutrition’s Advances and Controversies in Clinical Nutrition Conference, December 2014, Maryland, U.S.A
- Ifitezue LC and Sosanya ME. Nutritional assessment of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS in Bauchi metropolis. 44th Annual Scientific Conference & General Meeting of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, September 2014, Owerri, Nigeria
- Sosanya ME, Abdullahi Y and Adebitan EO. Nutritional status and sanitary practices of almajiris in Bauchi metropolis. 6th Africa Nutritional Epidemiology Conference (ANEC VI), July 2014, Accra, Ghana
- Sosanya ME, Adeosun FF and Ekweli UP. Determinants and pattern of fruit and vegetable consumption among adolescents in Bauchi metropolis. 6th Africa Nutritional Epidemiology Conference (ANEC VI), July 2014, Accra, Ghana
- Sosanya ME and Ibrahim A. Sanitary Practices, Nutritional and Health Status of Street Children in Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State, Nigeria. International Conference on Nutrition and Food Sciences, June 2014, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Sosanya ME, Abubakar L, Augustine H and Suyum AL. Comparison of the socio-economic characteristics and nutritional status of women in a rural and peri-urban setting in northern Nigeria. International Multidisciplinary Conference on Gender, March 2014, Auchi, Nigeria
- Sosanya ME, Fadupin GT, Atinmo T. Nutrient intakes and antioxidant status of the elderly with BPH and prostate cancer in Ibadan, Nigeria, Nutrition Congress Africa, September 2012, Bloemfontein, South Africa
- Sosanya ME, Adeosun FF and Ayuba AR. Infant feeding practices and their determinants among mothers living with HIV/AIDS in Bauchi metropolis. Nutrition Congress Africa, September 2012, Bloemfontein, South Africa
- Sosanya ME, Fadupin GT, Atinmo T. Selected Antioxidant status of elderly men with and without Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, 2nd Federation of African Nutrition Societies (FANUS) Congress, September 2011, Abuja, Nigeria
- Sosanya ME, Fadupin GT, Atinmo T. Selected Antioxidant status of elderly men with and without Prostate Cancer in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) Conference on Food, Nutrition, Physical activity and Cancer, November 2011, Washington DC, United States of America
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GUEST LECTURES
University of Venda, South Africa
2023 Feeding Infants & Young Children in RNT 2441: Nutrition in growth and Development
University of Texas at Austin
2022 Culture and Food of Nigeria in NTR 316: Culture and Food
2022 Magnesium and iron in NTR 343: Vitamins and Minerals
2022 The Nigerian Nutrition Situation in NTR 331: International Nutrition - Social and Environmental Policies
2021 Culture and Food of Nigeria in NTR 316: Culture and Food
2021 The Nigerian Nutrition Situation in NTR 331: International Nutrition - Social and Environmental Policies
2020 Hunger and Undernutrition in NTR 321: International Nutrition - Developing World
2020 Culture and Food of Nigeria in NTR 316: Culture and Food
2019 African Food in NTR 316: Culture and Food
2019 Hunger and Undernutrition in NTR 321: International Nutrition - Developing World
2018 Nigerian Food in NTR 316: Culture and Food
TEACHING ASSISTANT, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
2018 NTR 365: Obesity and Metabolic Health
2019 NTR 331: International Nutrition - Social and Environmental Policies
2019 NTR 321: International Nutrition - Developing World
2020 NTR 331: International Nutrition - Social and Environmental Policies
2020 NTR 321: International Nutrition - Developing World
2021 NTR 343: Vitamins and Minerals
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