Felicia Steger, Ph.D., R.D.

Professional Background

Felicia L. Steger, Ph.D., R.D., is an Assistant Professor in both the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Clinical Pharmacology and the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition at the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC). She is also Director of Nutrition Research for the KU Diabetes Institute and Scientific Director of Clinical Research for the Center for Children’s Healthy Lifestyle & Nutrition. Dr. Steger is a Registered Dietitian whose career has integrated clinical practice, lifestyle intervention delivery, clinical research, and graduate education. She teaches graduate courses in nutrition, obesity management, and diabetes and mentors master's, doctoral, and medical students pursuing careers in nutrition and health research. Her work bridges research and practice by translating emerging evidence into patient-centered approaches for chronic disease prevention and management.

• BS, Dietetics and Exercise Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
• Internship, Dietetics, OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, Peoria, IL

Research

Overview

Dr. Steger leads a clinical research program focused on nutrition and lifestyle interventions for type 2 diabetes, obesity, and related cardiometabolic diseases. Her research examines how dietary strategies, including intermittent fasting, time-restricted eating, meal timing, and other chrononutrition approaches, affect glycemic control, body weight, metabolic health, and long-term treatment adherence. She currently serves as Principal Investigator and collaborator on multiple federally funded studies supported by the National Institutes of Health and has received funding from the American Diabetes Association for her work on intermittent fasting as a treatment for type 2 diabetes. Her research has been published in leading journals, including JAMA Internal Medicine, Obesity, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, and Nutrition Research. Through clinical trials and translational research, Dr. Steger seeks to develop effective, evidence-based nutrition strategies that can improve diabetes care and be implemented in real-world healthcare settings.

• The National Diabetes Prevention Program in Rural Communities, NIH NIDDK

• Steger FeliciaL., Donnelly JosephE., Hull HollyR., Li Xinyang, Hu Jinxiang, Sullivan DebraK.. 2021. Intermittent and continuous energy restriction result in similar weight loss, weight loss maintenance, and body composition changes in a 6 month randomized pilot study. CLINICAL OBESITY, 11 (2)
• Ptomey LaurenT., Steger FeliciaL., Schubert MatthewM., Lee Jaehoon, Willis ErikA., Sullivan DebraK., Szabo-Reed AmandaN., Washburn RichardA., Donnelly JosephE.. 2016. Breakfast Intake and Composition Is Associated with Superior Academic Achievement in Elementary Schoolchildren. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF NUTRITION, 35 (4), 326-333
• Steger FeliciaL., Jamshed Humaira, Bryan DavidR., Richman JoshuaS., Warriner AmyH., Hanick CodyJ., Martin CorbyK., Salvy Sarah-Jeanne, Peterson CourtneyM.. 2022. Early time-restricted eating affects weight, metabolic health, mood, and sleep in adherent completers: A secondary analysis. OBESITY
• Steger Felicia, Jamshed Humaira, Bryan David, Richman Joshua, Hanick Cody, Warriner Amy, Peterson Courtney. 2020. Effect of Time-Restricted Eating on Weight, Fat Loss and Cardiometabolic Risk in Adults With Obesity. OBESITY, 28, 16-16
• Steger, Felicia L. L., Jamshed Humaira, Martin, Corby K. K., Richman, Joshua S. S., Bryan, David R. R., Hanick, Cody J. J., Salvy Sarah-Jeanne, Warriner, Amy H. H., Peterson, Courtney M. M.. 2022. Impact of early time-restricted eating on diet quality, meal frequency, appetite, and eating behaviors: A randomized trial. OBESITY
• Martin SamanthaL., Cardel MichelleI., Carson TiffanyL., Hill JamesO., Stanley Takara, Grinspoon Steven, Steger Felicia, Blackman Carr LonekeT., Ashby‐Thompson Maxine, Stewart Delisha, Ard Jamy, Stanford FatimaCody. 2023. Increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the fields of nutrition and obesity: A road map to equity in academia. Obesity, 31 (5), 1240-1254. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.23704