Annie Antonov, who graduated from UD with a bachelor’s in nutrition and medical sciences in 2024, now works as a clinical research coordinator and lab safety officer at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

Discovering her passion

Article by Amy Cherry Photos courtesy of Annie Antonov September 08, 2025

At UD, alumna discovers a love for nutrition research that changed her life

Annie Anotov 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.”

In her role as a clinical research coordinator, Antonov recruits pregnant women for the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes program, a nationwide study aimed at improving pediatric health.

UD prepared her well for this work. Antonov worked closely with mentor Shannon Robson, associate professor and interim chair of the Department of Health Behavior and Nutrition Sciences. Together, they analyzed National Survey of Children’s Health data to investigate the impact of secondhand smoke on childhood health.

“Through this research, I developed my own hypothesis and project and presented it at the annual CHS Research and Innovation Day and the Delaware Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics annual conference,” Antonov said.

The experience changed her outlook on research.

“Previously, I thought all research was in a wet lab, pipetting,” she said. “But there’s so much more to it. You’re working on a puzzle and piecing together ideas to solve problems. It was awesome to gain exposure to the nutrition research world. That experience has been invaluable to me in my career.”

It was rewarding for Robson to watch Antonov grow from volunteer to researcher in the Energy Balance and Nutrition Lab.

“It has been a privilege to mentor Annie on her independent research project, which is now being prepared for publication,” Robson said. “Watching her transition into her role as a clinical research coordinator for the ECHO project has been incredibly rewarding. Seeing students like Annie succeed — and knowing the lasting impact they have on knowledge generation — is one of the greatest joys of this work.”

At UD, Antonov also served as a teaching assistant, which piqued her interest in teaching.

Antonov is currently pursuing her master’s degree in public health with a concentration in epidemiology at Ohio University while working full-time. Her long-term goal is to earn a Ph.D. in nutrition.

“I want to become a principal investigator and continue research either in an academic or hospital setting,” she said. “But I’d also love to split my time teaching.”

Looking back, Antonov never imagined the research opportunities that would shape her UD experience.

“UD helped me find myself,” she said. “At an orientation, they told us that 90% of students change their majors, and I wound up being one of them. UD encouraged me to explore all my interests and figure out my passion.”

She credits faculty mentors like Robson, Associate Professor Alisha Rovner and Jennifer Thorpe, instructor and director of undergraduate nutrition programs, for guiding her path.

“They were so welcoming, and I still turn to them for career advice,” she said.

Antonov urges prospective and current students to keep an open mind.

“You never know what doors will open, and UD has an endless number of opportunities for you to find what you love,” she said.