Tristesse Burton, PhD, MSL
Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy
BIRCWH Scholar
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About
Tristesse Burton, PhD, MS, MSL is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacy
Practice at the University of Illinois Chicago, Retzky College of Pharmacy. She earned her
Bachelor of Science in Crop Sciences from the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, a
Master of Science in Law from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, and a PhD in
Pharmacognosy from UIC.
Dr. Burton is the Principal Investigator of the Plants, People, and Culture (PPC) Lab, which
investigates women’s health with a focus on perinatal cardiometabolic health disparities as
contributors to maternal mortality among Black and Indigenous women. The PPC Lab
emphasizes complementary and alternative medicine, particularly plant-based natural products
and foods, using a transdisciplinary, collaborative approach that integrates community-based
participatory research (CBPR), precision nutrition, and patient-centered methodologies. The lab’s research explores the mechanisms of plant-based interventions, determinants of dietary behavior change, and disease pathology while addressing the social determinants of women’s health.
As a BIRCWH Scholar, Dr. Burton aims to advance translational, community-engaged research
that links mechanistic science with behavioral and environmental strategies to prevent
gestational diabetes mellitus and promote maternal–child health equity. She also mentors’
pharmacy trainees in CBPR and health equity research, preparing the next generation of
translational scientists.