Her research interests include the effect of overall diet quality and components of a healthful diet on under-nutrition, obesity, metabolic syndrome and risk factors for diabetes and heart disease. She is also interested in how government programs and policies affect food security, diet quality and public health outcomes. Toward accomplishing these goals, Dr. Troy and her colleagues at Tufts University developed an index to measure adherence to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This index has been used in epidemiologic studies to examine how a diet consistent with federal guidelines relates to bone mineral density and the prevention of chronic diseases of aging including hip fracture, insulin resistance, and the metabolic syndrome. The index is being updated for the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.