Nutritional Sciences Research in Metabolism

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Understanding how nutrition impacts body systems

Exploring how the body processes and utilizes nutrients at both the cellular and systemic levels, our research teams delve into the intricate mechanisms that regulate energy balance, the development and management of metabolic disorders, and the critical role of nutrition in supporting overall health, physiological function, and disease prevention.

Castro Lab: The Castro Lab, directed by Rita Castro, seeks to advance scientific knowledge in vascular health and disease through unraveling the intricate mechanisms underlying vascular homeostasis and dysfunction.

Center for Childhood Obesity Research (CCOR): The Center for Childhood Obesity Research, directed by Jennifer Savage Williams, is a cross-disciplinary, college research center investigating the factors contributing to childhood obesity to inform successful prevention programs to be disseminated to public health and clinical practice audiences.

Diet and Cardiometabolic Health Lab: The Diet and Cardiometabolic Health Lab, directed by Kristina S. Petersen, studies the effects of nutrients, foods, bioactive components, and dietary patterns on risk factors for cardiometabolic disease, to inform evidence-based guidelines for general health as well as the prevention and management of cardiometabolic diseases.

Ji Lab: The Ji Lab, led by Xiangming Ji, studies stable isotope-resolved metabolomics for early disease detection, the pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis-related diabetes, and the effects of e-cigarettes on the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Micronutrients and Pregnancy Lab: The Micronutrients and Pregnancy Lab, led by Alison Gernand, studies malnutrition during preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum (lactation and infancy) with a focus on micronutrient deficiencies and adverse pregnancy outcomes in low- and middle-income countries.

Nutrition and Microbiome – Singh Lab: The Nutrition and Microbiome – Singh Lab, led by Vishal Singh, aims to identify the molecular link by which microbial fermentation-derived metabolites regulate the development of chronic inflammatory disorders.

Nutritional Neuropharmacology Lab: The Nutritional Neuropharmacology Lab, led by Joshua Gross, studies how G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling regulates food reward in the context of obesity, eating disorders, and metabolic disease.