Rate My Professor Jill Norris

Norris's research examines the role of environmental factors, particularly maternal, infant, childhood, and adult dietary influences, in the etiology of autoimmune diseases including type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis in genetically susceptible individuals. She utilizes dietary assessment, metabolomic, and epigenomic methods in large prospective cohort studies such as the Diabetes Autoimmunity Study in the Young (DAISY), which she has co-led for nearly 30 years, and the Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY), where she co-chairs the Diet Committee. With expertise in epidemiology of autoimmune diseases, nutrition epidemiology, genetic epidemiology, nutrigenomics, and nutrigenetics, she has authored hundreds of peer-reviewed publications. Notable works include 'Vitamin D Intake and Risk of Incident Type 1 Diabetes' in JAMA (2007), 'Risk of Celiac Disease Autoimmunity and Timing of Gluten Introduction in the Diabetes Autoimmunity Study in the Young' in JAMA (2005), and studies on erythrocyte membrane fatty acids and islet autoimmunity in Diabetologia (2014). Her impact is evidenced by major awards: the American Diabetes Association Kelly West Award for Outstanding Achievement in Epidemiology (2022), election to the American Epidemiological Society (2018), Noel Weiss and Tom Koepsell Excellence in Education Award from the Society for Epidemiologic Research (2019), and University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health Distinguished Alumni Award for Research (2018). Norris has also established the Dr. Jill Norris and Dr. Michael Holers Endowed Scholarship in Autoimmune Disease Epidemiology.