Dr. Kozeta Miliku, MD PhD

Assistant Professor

Dr. Kozeta Miliku obtained her Medical Doctorate in 2013 at the Medical University of Tirana in Albania. She received her doctoral degree in Clinical Epidemiology in May 2017 at the Erasmus University Medical Centre in the Netherlands. Her PhD thesis entitled: “Early life nutrition, growth and kidney function in children” studied the role of genetics, parental health and nutritional factors on fetal growth and childhood kidney function in children. 

Dr. Miliku’s postdoctoral research at the University of Manitoba and McMaster University focused on understanding the role of nutrition and genetics in the developmental origins of chronic disease, including cardiometabolic health, asthma and allergies among Canadian children. 

At the University of Toronto, Dr. Miliku’s lab employs a life course perspective to study the impact of nutrition, environment and genetics on the development of multimorbidity (the co-existence of two or more chronic conditions). She also teaches the NFS382 course "Vitamin & Mineral Metabolism Throughout the Life-Cycle".

Dr. Miliku is the Clinical Science Officer of the CHILD Cohort Study, one of the largest Canadian pregnancy cohorts. She is also the Co-Chair of the “Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Indigeneity” Committee of the DOHaD Canada Society. 

Tara Zeitoun 

Post-Doctoral Fellow 

Tara is a post-doctoral fellow at the Miliku lab. She obtained her PhD from the Department of Nutritional Sciences with a collaborative specialization in Women’s Health at the University of Toronto. Tara's postdoctoral work aims to assess nutritional literacy, particularly of ultra-processed food among caregivers of young children. She is interested in understanding how caregivers' knowledge of nutrition and their health behaviours affect a child’s nutritional habits and overall well-being. Her research expertise also extend to women’s health, with a focus on the intersection of diet, genetics and lifestyle and their effects on chronic reproductive conditions and hormonal health throughout the lifespan. 

Zheng Hao (Howard) Chen 

PhD Student 

Howard is a recipient of CGS-D (CIHR) and is currently a PhD student in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto. He received his BSc with a major in Food Science and minor in Nutritional and Nutraceutical Sciences from the University of Guelph. His doctoral work focuses on early childhood diet, cardiometabolic outcomes, and puberty development. Howard is interested in understanding how childhood dietary patterns and ultra-processed food intake influence cardiometabolic health in later life.

Maurya Hart 

MSc Student 

Maurya is a Registered Dietitian and holds an undergraduate degree from the BSc (NutrSc) Dietetics Major program at McGill University. She is currently completing a Master's thesis focused on the influence of prenatal paternal lifestyle factors (including diet) on offspring's cardiovascular disease risk. Her research is fueled by her passion to improve the health of children and reduce the burden of chronic disease in Canada. 

Sara Mousavi 

Undergraduate Student

Sara Mousavi is a dedicated undergraduate student pursuing a double major in Nutritional Sciences and Physiology at the University of Toronto. Her research is centered on the investigation of factors influencing the consumption of ultra-processed foods among preschool children in the CHILD Cohort Study. Her passion lies in exploring the role of nutrition in preventing diseases and its application in public health initiatives.

Tuka Alghazawi 

Undergraduate Student

Tuka is working towards her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences from the University of Toronto. She joined the Miliku Lab as a summer research student, studying the association between obesity and asthma in children and exploring the role of pubertal factors in this association. Tuka plans to pursue an MSc in Nutritional Sciences to continue investigating child health dynamics and subsequently earn a Doctor of Medicine degree to become a future pediatrician.

Bryshan Francis 

Undergraduate Student 

Bryshan is currently a candidate for an Arts & Science Bachelor's degree at University of Toronto. He is majoring in Nutritional Sciences and doing a double minor in Physiology and Human Geography. Bryshan's current research project is on the influence of paternal age on the outcome of offspring's mental health. His research project is being conducted for a course in University of Toronto Nutritional Sciences Research Project Course.

Shreya Saha 

Undergraduate Student

Shreya is currently in her fourth year of completing her Bachelor of Health Sciences at McMaster University, and is expected to graduate in 2025. Her research interests include maternal, paternal, and offspring health with a focus on nutrition. She joins the Miliku Lab as a summer student investigating the effects of paternal dietary patterns on offspring health outcomes, and plans to complete her undergraduate thesis under Dr. Miliku as well.

Audrey Moyen 

Visiting PhD Student

Audrey is a visiting PhD student from McGill University and a Registered Dietitian. She is currently involved in a large randomized controlled trial investigating the effects of prehabilitation on recovery outcomes in lung cancer surgery. At the Miliku Lab, her research focuses on validating an artificial intelligence-enhanced dietary assessment tool for use in adolescents.

Brian Lam 

Medical Student