Tristesse C. Burton
Assistant Professor, Pharmacy Practice
Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) Scholar, Pharmacy Practice
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About
Overview:
Black and Indigenous women are disproportionately affected by high rates of maternal mortality and adverse health outcomes due to systemic inequities, limited access to culturally competent care, and underlying cardiometabolic health disparities. Addressing these disparities through targeted, community-driven research not only improves maternal and perinatal health but also advances health equity, ensures representation in scientific studies, and informs policies and interventions that better serve historically marginalized communities.
Research Interests:
The Plants, People, and Culture (PPC) lab investigates women’s health, with a focus on perinatal cardiometabolic health disparities as contributors to maternal mortality among Black and Indigenous women. We emphasize complementary and alternative medicine, including plant-based natural products and foods, using a transdisciplinary, collaborative approach that integrates community-based participatory research, precision nutrition, and patient-centered methodologies. Our research explores the mechanisms of plant-based interventions, determinants of dietary behavior change, and disease pathology while addressing social determinants of health in women’s health.
Teaching and Supervision
Undergrad Res Exp Pharm Pract (PMPR 47299), 1/12/2026 – 5/1/2026
Pharmaceutical Care in the US (PHAR 40544), 1/12/2026 – 5/1/2026
Pharmaceutical Care in the US (PHAR 40544), 8/26/2025 – 12/8/2025
Undergrad Resrch Pharm Pract (PMPR 380), 8/25/2025 – 12/5/2025
Spec Project in Pharm Pract (PMPR 390), 6/16/2025 – 8/8/2025
Spec Project in Pharm Pract (PMPR 390), 1/13/2025 – 5/2/2025
Undergrad Res Exp Pharm Pract (PMPR 300), 1/13/2025 – 5/2/2025
Undergrad Res Exp Pharm Pract (PMPR 300), 8/26/2024 – 12/6/2024
Undergrad Resrch Pharm Pract (PMPR 380), 8/26/2024 – 12/6/2024
Selected Grants
MADE for DASH: A Dietary Intervention to Prevent Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Interrupt Intergenerational Diabetes Risk in Urban Pregnant Women and Their Children, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases., 7/1/2026 - 6/30/2028, Obligated Amount: $100000; Anticipated Amount: $100000
CCTS Pilot Grant, University of Illinois Chicago Center for Clinical and Translational Science., 6/1/2026 - 5/31/2027, Obligated Amount: $30000; Anticipated Amount: $30000
Development and Early Feasibility Testing of MADE for DASH Food-is-Medicine Components for Pregnant Patients at UI Health, UIC College of Pharmacy Hans W. Vahlteich Research Award., 4/16/2026 - 4/15/2027, Obligated Amount: $50000; Anticipated Amount: $50000
Food Systems and Public Health Workgroup, Center for Extreme Conditions and Health Excellence., 3/31/2026 - 3/30/2026, Obligated Amount: $23000; No Anticipated Amount Set
Rooted in Wellness: A Culturally-Tailored Kefir- Moringa Intervention to Support Glucose Control in Black Women at Diabetes Risk, National Dairy Council., 12/31/2025 - Present, Obligated Amount: $370640; No Anticipated Amount Set
DASH for Us: A Pilot of a DASH Behavioral Intervention with and for Black Pregnant Women at Risk for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases., 9/30/2025 - Present, Obligated Amount: $100000; No Anticipated Amount Set
UIC Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health Program, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases., 9/1/2025 - 8/31/2026, Obligated Amount: $174550; Anticipated Amount: $174550
Moringa & Motherhood: Exploring Its Cellular Impact on Gestational Diabetes, Herb Society of America., 6/1/2025 - 5/31/2026, Obligated Amount: $4000; Anticipated Amount: $4000
Pathway to Stop Diabetes: Accelerator Award, UIC Internal Submission for the American Diabetes Association., 5/6/2025 - Present, Obligated Amount: $1625000; No Anticipated Amount Set
Selected Publications
DiPiazza, Brittany, Patel, Bhumi, Li, Yanqiao, Tardif, Adrienne, Pezley, Lacey, Fought-Boudaia, Anisa, Steffen, Alana, Buhimschi, Irina, Burton, Tristesse, Varady, Krista, Koenig, Mary Dawn, Tussing-Humphreys, Lisa. (2026). Trial design: Evaluating the safety, feasibility, and acceptability of time-restricted eating in pregnant women with obesity. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 163, 108257. doi:10.1016/j.cct.2026.108257.
Koenig, Mary Dawn, Crooks, Natasha, Burton, Tristesse, Li, Yanqiao, Hemphill, Nefertiti OjiNjideka, Erbe, Katherine, Rutherford, Julienne N, Liese, Kylea L, Pearson, Pamela, Stewart, Karie, Kessee, Nicollette, Gondwe, Kaboni W, Reed, Luecendia, Tussing-Humphreys, Lisa. (2024). Structural Violence and Stress Experiences of Young Pregnant Black People. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 11, (4), 1918-1932. doi:10.1007/s40615-023-01661-y.
Williams, Blake, Ogbuefi, Dalu, Alvernaz, Suzanne, Lopez, Andrea, Tussing-Humphreys, Lisa, Maki, Pauline, Bernabé, Beatriz Peñalver, Burton, Tristesse. (2023). P07-064-23 Neighborhood Social Determinants of Health, Diet Quality, and Gestational Diabetes Risk in Urban Pregnant Women. Current Developments in Nutrition, 7, 101055. doi:10.1016/j.cdnut.2023.101055.
Burton, Tristesse Cj, Lv, Nan, Tsai, Perry, Peñalver Bernabé, Beatriz, Tussing-Humphreys, Lisa, Xiao, Lan, Pandey, Ghanshyam N, Wu, Yichao, Ajilore, Olusola A, Ma, Jun. (2023). Associations between fecal short-chain fatty acids, plasma inflammatory cytokines, and dietary markers with depression and anxiety: Post hoc analysis of the ENGAGE-2 pilot trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 117, (4), 717-730. doi:10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.01.018.
Ustick, Jessica, Chakos, Kaitlin, Jia, Hejingzi, Hanneke, Rosie, DiPiazza, Brittany, Koenig, Mary Dawn, Ma, Jun, Man, Bernice, Tussing-Humphreys, Lisa, Burton, Tristesse Catessa Jasmin. (2023). Associations between plant-based diets, plant foods and botanical supplements with gestational diabetes mellitus: a systematic review protocol. BMJ Open, 13, (3), e068829. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2022-068829.
Burton, Tristesse CJ, Lankin, David C, Nikolic, Dejan, Guo, Brian, Ju, Jianming, Dietz, Birgit M, Che, Chun-Tao, Soejarto, Djaja Djendoel, van Breemen, Richard B. (2021). Isolation and elucidation of two isoflavonoids from an American Indian plant, Amorpha canescens Pursh, using Magnetic Microbead Affinity Selection Screening (MagMASS) for estrogen receptor alpha ligands. Phytochemistry Letters, 45, 110-116. doi:10.1016/j.phytol.2021.07.018.
Anderson, Eboni, Traylor, Daryl, Francis, Carolee Dodge, Murphy-Belcaster, Megan, Thompson-Robinson, Melva, Andrews, Johanna E, Burton, Tristesse, Ricker, Kristina, King, Sutton. (2020). Transforming Culturally Relevant Research Amid a COVID-19 Pandemic. Researching in the Age of COVID-19 Vol 3. (pp. 80-90). Bristol University Press. doi:10.46692/9781447360438.009.
Anderson, Eboni, Traylor, Daryl, Francis, Carolee Dodge, Murphy-Belcaster, Megan, Thompson-Robinson, Melva, Andrews, Johanna E, Burton, Tristesse, Ricker, Kristina, King, Sutton. (2020). Transforming culturally relevant research amid a COVID-19 pandemic. Researching in the Age of COVID-19. (pp. 80-90). Bristol University Press. doi:10.51952/9781447360438.ch008.
Burton, Tristesse, Alexander, James, Planinic, Petar, Basu, Arpita. (2020). Associations of Plant-Based Foods and Diets with Gestational Diabetes: A Systematic Review of Observational Studies and Clinical Trials. Current Developments in Nutrition, 4, (Suppl 2), nzaa054_020. doi:10.1093/cdn/nzaa054_020.
Education
Degrees:
PhD, University of Illinois at Chicago, United States, 2017
Master of Science in Law, MSL, Northwestern University, Pritzker School of Law, United States, 2018
BS, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States, 2010
Postgraduate Training:
Bridge to Faculty Postdoctoral Scholar, University of Illinois at Chicago, United States, 2024
Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH), Postdoctoral Trainee, University of Illinois at Chicago, United States, 2024
NIH T32 Precision Lifestyle Medicine and Translation Research (PREMIER) Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Illinois at Chicago, United States, 2022
Postdoctoral Scholar, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, United States, 2020
Selected Presentations
Burton, Tristesse, Asanzi, Ange. (2026 October 17). Plants, People, and Culture: Lessons from Community-Engaged Research. Fall 2025 Medical Colloquia Course. Chicago.