Ezinne Oguguo

I hope to use the MSRF to build a career at the intersection of nutrition science and neurosurgical care. Through this fellowship, I will lead a prospective interventional study investigating the feasibility of a Whole-Food Plant-Predominant (WFPP) diet as a non-pharmacologic strategy to reduce inflammation, improve strength, and enhance recovery in patients with spine cancer. By examining how diet quality influences muscle damage and molecular pathways tied to cancer-related decline, this work will provide insight into nutrition’s biologic impact and therapeutic potential. It will also lay the groundwork for future studies targeting sarcopenia, cancer cachexia, and optimal timing of intervention. As an aspiring neurosurgeon-scientist, I aim to design and translate evidence-based, accessible strategies that restore the strength malnutrition once stole from my grandmother—and from patients like her.