Running, Hiking, Biking, Soccer, Swimming and Equestrian Sports.

Lara is an Associate Principal Scientist with the Gatorade Sports Science Institute with interests in sports nutrition, adaptations to endurance training, hormonal regulation of substrate utilization, macronutrient ratios and body weight regulation. Lara currently manages several internal and external research projects related to profiling of athletes, sports nutrition and athlete performance. Previously Lara worked in the molecular insights department of the New Haven Lab at PepsiCo developing a muscle cell model system. Lara received her Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Boston University in 1993, Master’s Degree from Southern Ct. State University in Exercise Physiology in 1999, PhD from University of Alabama, Birmingham in Molecular and Cellular Physiology in 2005 and completed her post-doctoral fellowship in 2010 at Vanderbilt University Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism. Lara has authored or coauthored 18 publications including peer reviewed journal articles, book chapters and abstracts. She has also been the recipient of honors and awards such as the Endocrine Trainee Day Nomination and Travel Award in 2009, the American Diabetes Association/Takeda Mentored Fellowship Award from 2008-2009, the Molecular Endocrinology Training Grant Post-Doctoral Fellowship Award from 2006-2008 and the NIH Cardiovascular Pathophysiology Graduate Student Fellow Award from 2003- 2005.