Emily Johnston, MPH, PhD

As a Research Assistant Professor at NYU Langone Health, I specialize in lifestyle interventions aimed at preventing chronic diseases, with a particular emphasis on dietary assessment strategies. My research is driven by the alarming statistic that 6 out of every 10 American adults live with at least one chronic condition, many of which can be prevented or delayed through targeted lifestyle changes. Despite this potential, such interventions are often not integrated into clinical care.

Currently, I serve as the Principal Investigator (PI) of a study exploring the critical role of dietary intake in dementia prevention. This research seeks to elucidate the connections between diet and disease, with the goal of identifying modifiable risk factors that can be leveraged for chronic disease prevention.

To better understand chronic disease risk related to dietary intake, I developed the Diet Risk Score (DRS), a novel dietary assessment tool designed to quickly evaluate an individual's risk for cardiometabolic diseases linked to dietary habits. The DRS has been translated into Mandarin and Spanish, and its validity has been tested among native speakers. This tool is currently being utilized in several ongoing studies, enhancing our capacity to measure dietary risks across diverse populations.

My ongoing research focuses on the interplay between diet, disease, and cognition, specifically how dietary intake can influence the risk of cognitive decline. Through this work, I aim to contribute to the growing body of evidence supporting the importance of lifestyle factors in maintaining cognitive health and preventing chronic disease.