NUIP Department Newsletter

Nutrition and Integrative Physiology (NUIP)

Department Newsletter - 2019

A Message from the Chair

When we launched the realigned Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology in July of 2016, we laid out ambitious goals to advance research and discovery, promote innovation in teaching and learning, and introduce new community-based intervention programs. The results have been remarkable.

$18M+ dollars in new grant funding,
100+ publications
More than 21,000 individuals served by the University of Utah Center for Community Nutrition (UUCCN)
Innovative advances in Teaching and Learning in the classroom and community
A 100% success rate on the exam to become a registered dietitian by recent graduates
Launch of a new PhD program with 23 students now enrolled, 6 of whom have won extramural fellowships
NUIP faculty and/or students received the College of Health's 2019 Outstanding Senior Researcher Award, Outstanding Junior Researcher Award, Outstanding Teaching and Mentor Award, Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award, and Student of the Year Award.

These activities, described in more detail below, are directly attributable to the commitment to excellence by the faculty, staff, and students that are NUIP. I’m honored to work with this terrific group of professionals.

The coming year we will strive to push ourselves even further. In partnership with the Diabetes and Metabolism Research Center and Molecular Medicine Program, we will recruit an additional researcher studying the influence of metabolism on health and disease. Through the UUCCN and new Center for Pacific Islander Health, we will endeavor to advance our programs beyond Utah, reaching our brethren in the surrounding states of the Intermountain West. And, in partnership with a new Teaching and Learning Taskforce developed through the College of Health, and led by NUIP faculty member Staci McIntosh, we will strive to advance new experiential and community-engaged learning opportunities to our students. We are just getting started!

Thanks to all for a wonderfully successful first three years.

Best, Scott Summers, Chair of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology

Pictured: Scott supporting World Diabetes Day with NUIP faculty member Ying Li and PhD student Trevor Tippets.

Research and Discovery

BOND: DOUBLE BOND

TINY CHANGE IN CERAMIDES REVERSES

PRE-DIABETES IN MICE

Results of a new study published in Science magazine highlight a potential diabetes drug target and a role for ceramides in sensing nutrition.

A small chemical change – shifting the position of two hydrogen atoms – makes the difference between mice that are healthy and mice with insulin resistance and fatty liver, major risk factors for diabetes and heart disease. Making the change prevented the onset of these symptoms in mice fed a high-fat diet and reversed the symptoms in obese mice.

NUIP scientists changed the trajectory of metabolic disease by deactivating an enzyme called DES1 . Doing so stopped the enzyme from removing the final hydrogens from a lipid called ceramide. Blocking that final step, the insertion of a double bond, resulted in lowering the total amount of ceramides in the body .

The finding pinpoints DES1 as a “druggable” target that could be used to develop new therapies for metabolic disorders that affect the health of tens of millions of Americans. The Summers laboratory, in collaboration with Merck, Inc., led the research, published online in Science on July 4th.

“We have identified a potential therapeutic strategy that is remarkably effective, and underscores how complex biological systems can be deeply affected by a subtle change in chemistry,” says Scott Summers, who was co-senior author on the study with David Kelley, M.D., formerly of Merck Research Laboratories.

“Our work shows that ceramides have an influential role in metabolic health,” says Summers. “We think of ceramides as the next cholesterol.

Summers and Kelley are now screening for drugs that inhibit DES1 with a goal of developing therapeutics. “This project provides substantial validation that this is a discreet and highly effective point of intervention,” says Kelley.

BERRY, BERRY GOOD FOR YOU

Velayutham and colleagues receive $2M in funding from the NIH and USDA to understand the vasoactive properties of berries

Could the chemicals that provide berries with their rich color also prevent cardiovascular disease?

NUIP Associate Professor Anandh Velayutham and his research team found that feeding strawberries and blueberries to mice reduces their risk for heart disease. Remarkably, the team found that the metabolites of the molecules that make these fruits colorful , termed anthocyanins, have direct beneficial actions in blood vessels. This exciting discovery has important implications for heart and blood vessel health.

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH-R01 grant), the United State Department of Agriculture – National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the Wild Blueberry Association of North America have provided Dr. Velayutham with more than $2M dollars to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects. These studies will dissect the causal association between dietary berries, the gut microbiome and vascular health.

“We are grateful for the support from the NIH and the USDA and excited to explore the unknown mechanisms involved in the cardiovascular benefits of berries", says Dr. Velayutham. "This research could establish a new paradigm and provide strong scientific rationale for recommending dietary intake of berries to improve cardiovascular health in the U.S. population and worldwide. ”

THE IMPORTANCE OF CLEANING YOUR FAT

Study by the Boudina lab reveals the importance of autophagy in maintaining healthy adipose stores.

Adipocytes have an enormous capacity to store energy in the form of triglyceride. For example, a 154 pound person stores 135,000 kcal of energy as triglycerides, as opposed to only 1,600 kcal as glycogen or 24,000 kcal as protein! The Boudina lab asked an important question: what happens when adipocytes don't take out the trash?

Autophagy is a homeostatic cellular process involved in the degradation of long-lived or damaged cellular components. By genetically engineering mice, Boudina and colleagues prevented mature adipocytes from conducting this important cellular process. The impact was far-reaching, as the impairment in adipocyte autophagy induced defects in the entire animal, leading to insulin resistance, an important driver of diabetes and heart disease.

An exciting component of this work was the identification of a novel means of adipose-liver crosstalk, potentially mediated by lipid peroxides. Results of these studies, published in Cell Reports in November of 2018, have important implications in our understanding of nutrient homeostasis.

RESEARCHER SPOTLIGHT

Meet Bhagirath Chaurasia

Assistant Professor Bhagirath (Bhagi) Chaurasia completed his PhD in Physiology and Genetics in the laboratory of Prof. Jens Bruning at the University of Cologne, Germany. His doctoral research, published in Cell, Nature Immunology, and Molecular and Cellular Biology , identified new signaling networks that integrate metabolism between macrophages and insulin target tissues.

Building upon these important discoveries, Bhagi joined Evotec (in Gottingen, Germany) to work on an ambitious academic-industry collaboration between Harvard University and Evotec entitled ‘’CureBeta,’’ which aimed to identify novel small molecule and biological targets to enhance beta cell replication.

Despite Bhagi's success in the biotech industry, his heart remained in academia and he joined the laboratory of Scott Summers at the Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore. His work during this final training stint was impressive and included high profile publications in Science and Cell Metabolism that conclusively revealed that ceramides are important drivers of cardiometabolic disease.

Bhagi is currently enrolled in the Vice President's Clinical and Translational (VPCAT) Research Scholars Program and has obtained funding from the NIH, USDA, and other agencies.

NUIP Researchers go from Cell to Plate

NUIP researchers showed off the breadth of the department's research programs at a College of Health community outreach event, demonstrating how their research covers nutrition from Cell to Plate. Watch the lectures here !

RESEARCH SUCCESS BY THE NUMBERS

In 2019, NUIP added several new large grants to its already impressive funding base. With new NIH-R01 grants to Symons, Velayutham and Summers and additional support from the USDA (Velayutham and Chaurasia), the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (Summers and Holland), the PAC-12 (Martin), Community foundations of Utah (Metos), and Cigna Healthcare (Metos), NUIP added an additional $9M in funding to its ledgers. Extramural expenditures on research will easily exceed $3.5M in FY20.

Innovation in Education

PhD PROGRAM JOINING FORCES WITH THE

BIOSCIENCE GRADUATE PROGRAMS

NUIP Joins the Molecular Biology Bioscience Graduate Program

In May of 2019, NUIP became the 11 ^th department to join the University of Utah’s Bioscience PhD program, obtaining eligibility to recruit studies completing the Molecular Biology (MB) curriculum. The MB Program provides students with one-year stipend; a curriculum that includes genetics, cell biology, protein and nucleic acid chemistry, science ethics, and critical thinking in research; a capstone experience; and the opportunity to conduct rotations in the university’s biomedical research laboratories.

NUIP adds a Molecular Metabolism Track

After completing the first year curriculum of the MB Program, students will now have the opportunity to complete their PhD in NUIP working alongside one of its outstanding research mentors. To accommodate these trainees, NUIP faculty created a new Molecular Metabolism track that supplements the first year courses with specialty training in Macronutrient Metabolism, Regulation of Metabolism, and Graduate Seminar. We are grateful for the Bioscience Programs for welcoming NUIP into their ranks.

CMP GRADUATES ARE PERFECT!

In 2018, 100% of graduates (n=18) of our Coordinated Master’s Program (CMP) passed the Registration Examination for Dietitians on the first attempt! Nationally the numbers are much, much lower. Let's do it again this year!

CMP STUDENTS TEAM UP TO IMPACT THE COMMUNITY

In NUIP, we strive to do more than prepare clinicians. We endeavor to train future leaders that will transform the practice of healthcare. Knowledge is important, but so are critical thinking skills, empathy, communication, and an ability to work with patients, healthcare providers, and community partners.

In 2018-2019, we took a major step in this endeavor by introducing a new team-based approach to Focused Area of Study (FAS) projects. Through this exercise, our students get real-world experience working in groups and with community partners. The students developed impactful programs that support our local community:

Working with Intermountain Healthcare to develop a screening tool and educational materials supporting nutrition intervention in patients with malignant gastrointestinal cancer
Collaborating with PEAK Health and Fitness to develop materials for young athletes interested in nutrition and sport
Eeveloping a body positive program for university athletes

We will "double-down" on this format in the coming year, developing new projects with U.S Ski & Snowboard, the Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospital, University of Utah Healthcare, University of Utah Athletics, and the University of Utah Center for Community Nutrition. We're proud of the efforts of the students as they learn while helping our local communities and health partners.

NUIP MS Program Joins UOnline

Online MS in Nutrition and Integrative Physiology-Ranked 6 ^th best and most affordable online nutrition program in the US two years running!

For the second year in a row, NUIP's Online MS program was recognized as one of the best values in online graduate education by gradschoolhub and bestcolleges.com .

The Online MS is the vision of Dr. Katherine Beals, who obtained a teaching and learning grant to develop the program in 2011. The program provides options and flexibility for prospective students while tapping into the nationwide thirst for online education. The first class of students matriculated in 2013 and the program has seen steady enrollment over the past six years. Although initially designed for practicing RDs seeking to advance their education and earning potential, the online MS has attracted students from diverse disciplines, including one of the chief veterinarians at the Hogle Zoo, a well-followed nutrition blogger and aspiring book author, and a professional model and health/fitness coach.

Under Dr. Beal's leadership, the program joined the ranks of UOnline in 2019, which provides resources for marketing and enlarging this highly successful endeavor.

STACI MCINTOSH

NUIP's Teaching and Learning Innovation Czar!

In 2019, Staci McIntosh will take the reigns as NUIP's Director of Teaching and Learning, helping develop programs that will enhance the quality and innovation of our educational activities. Staci has a passion for online education and has been leading the way in a college-wide effort to improve and standardize online templates. She has also helped organize the departmental and college activities to recognize and augment the wonderfully creative teaching activities already in place. Building upon last year's success, Staci will become the chair of the first College of Health Teaching and Learning taskforce. We're excited about the opportunities for synergy created by these dual positions.

Mapping the Nutrition Minor . The nutrition minor is popular among students in the Colleges of Health and Nursing, with 284 students enrolled in the program. Staci and her colleague Allison Riederer worked with Teaching and Learning Technologies to coordinate a Program Mapping workshop for faculty within NUIP, developing a curriculum that prepares graduates that "have an increased appreciation of the science of nutrition, becoming ethical stewards of the nutrition literature and advocates for the importance of nutrition in a healthy lifestyle."

Pictured: Staci McIntosh after receiving the College of Health's Outstanding Teaching and Mentor Award in 2019

Training Undergraduates in Research

NUIP faculty enthusiastically support undergraduate student research. Accomplishments by our trainees include the following:

Samira Gholami (Velayutham lab) was the recipient of the 2019 Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award in the College of Health
Russ Richardson and colleagues obtained an American Heart Association Institutional Undergraduate Student Research Fellowship Program Award that supports 5 students per summer ($4,000 stipend). Daniela Vidal and Rejoice Fon are recent recipients of these awards
River Gunville (Boudina lab), Tyrell Natawa (Holland Lab), Tahno Warren (Summers lab), Aspen Johnson (Velayutham lab) and Gem Wilson (Velayutham lab) received Native American Research Internships ($4000) from the NIH
Kellsey Ly (Symons lab), Kiana Luu (Symons lab), Samantha Nelson (Velayutham lab), Jessica Bigley (Velayutham lab) and Madison Putich (Velayutham lab) received Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) stipends ($4,000)
Caroline Ramous and Kellsey Ly (Symons lab) received Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowships (UGSRF) from the American Physiological Society ($4,000)
Turson Turapov (Holland lab), Miley Ngyen (Jalili Lab), Caroline Ramous (Symons lab), Lauren Thompson (Symons lab), Kellsey Ly (Symons lab), Madison Putich (Velayutham lab) and Aubrey O’Farrell (Velayutham lab) received $1,200 stipends and educational programming through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)
Rufus Sweeney (Summers lab) won the Best Poster Award at the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science conference (SACNAS 2018) and a full scholarship to attend medical school at the University of Wisconsin
Tyrell Natewa (Holland lab) received a travel scholarship for his presentation at the SACNAS 2018
Tahno Warren (Summers lab) received the Askew Chair’s Scholarship in 2019
Caroline Ramous (Symons lab) received the Lawrence T and Janet T Dee Foundation Scholarship and a travel award to present her research at Experimental Biology 2019
Kelsey Ly and Caroline Ramous (Symons lab) received a travel award to present their research at Experimental Biology 2020

These researchers contributed to numerous publications, including some as primary author....

Ankit Sharma (Holland lab, Cell Reports) - As lead author
Rufus Sweeney (Summers lab, Science)
Lance Deeter, Nick Deeter, and Trevor Bonn (Symons lab, Circulation)
River Gunville (Boudina lab, Antioxidant and Redox signaling)
Brett Cutler, Samira Gholami and Christopher Denetso (Velayutham lab, International Journal of Cardiology)
Kiana Wong (Velayutham lab, Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry)

...and presented at numerous scientific meetings.

Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting: Caroline Ramous (Symons lab)
Utah Conference on Undergraduate Research: Caroline Ramous and Lauren Thompson (Symons lab)
Research on Capitol Hill: Caroline Ramous and Lauren Thompson (Symons lab)
UU Undergraduate Research Symposium: Tyrell Natewa (Holland lab), Tahno Warren (Summers lab), Miley Ngyen (Jalili lab), Caroline Ramous and Lauren Thompson (Symons lab), Kellsey Ly (Symons lab), Aspen Johnson (Velayutham lab), Jessica Bigely (Velayutham lab), Samantha Nelson (Velayutham lab), Madison Putich (Velayutham lab), Aubrey O’Farrell (Velayutham lab)

GOODBYE TO A LEGEND

Joan Benson rides into the sunset; will be sorely missed

Joan Benson has been a valued colleague and cherished friend to so many in our department; we thank her for many years of dedication and for embodying her teaching philosophy: “Have fun, learn a lot!”

Joan received her Master’s Degree in Nutrition from University of California Berkeley before joining our department, where she has taught literally thousands of students. At one point, she developed the popular, televised Scientific Foundations of Nutrition and Health class which reached students all over the state. “It was crazy, funny and mortifying to have students stop me in grocery stores, restaurants and even the bathroom to discuss food,” says Joan. Her talent for explaining nutrition science in an entertaining and engaging way made her a local celebrity!

Beyond teaching, Joan published several papers on nutrition and cancer and nutrition in sport and served as the lead nutritionist for a large clinical trial investigating nutrition and cancer. She continues to serve as a consultant to the National Cancer Institute and as a research manager and nutritionist for the research corporation WESTAT.

As Joan rides into the sunset, we will strive to follow her example and keep students at the center of our mission. We are better for having known her.

Welcome to the Team!

NUIP adds two new instructors to the faculty

Amy Reeder

Amy is a proud graduate of our Coordinated Master’s Program. Since completing the program in 1998, she has served as a practicing RD, Health Coach, and Certified Diabetes Educator, recently helping lead the One Day Diabetes Program supported by the Driving out Diabetes Initiative. Amy was born and raised in Salt Lake City, but has been fortunate to live in other beautiful places around the west including Seattle, Portland and San Francisco. Fortunately for NUIP, the mountains in Utah have always lured her back. In Amy's spare time she loves to hike and camp with her family and dogs, and eat good food.

Kristi Spence

Kristi, who is an RD and certified specialist in sports dietetics, is the Senior VP of Marketing for Dairy West. She specializes in communications, striving to make connections between agriculture and our contemporary food environment. She has provided nutrition counseling, educational programs, cooking workshops, and lectures all over the country.

Kristi grew up in Los Angeles before completing a bachelor's degree at Princeton and a graduate degree at the U of U. She is an Olympic Trials qualifier in the Marathon and recently started a running club in Cache Valley aimed to build community through sport. She loves cooking, hiking, traveling and spending time with her husband and 2 sons.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

NUIP recognizes the extraordinary value of having diverse cultures, opinions, and ideas within our programs. Inclusion is essential for excellence! This year, our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Workgroup revised NUIP's graduate admissions criteria to incorporate a holistic review of candidates. The unit also partnered with the Office of Health Equity and Inclusion in hosting two Patient Voice Panels discussing access to healthcare entitled "Different Abilities" and "Pacific Islander Health."

Pictured. UUCCN and NUIP Associate Director Sarah Elizabeth Levitt receiving the College of Health Staff Inclusive Excellence Award

Community Engagement

University of Utah Center for Community Nutrition

2019 was another banner year for Dr. Julie Metos and her team with the UUCCN, which supplemented its strong base of funding from the Driving Out Diabetes Initiative with new grants from the Community Foundation of Utah and the Cigna Foundation. These monies will support the expansion and enhancement of the programs and will enable rigorous research on program outcomes.

Food, Movement and You

Food, Movement, and You teaches healthy eating and lifestyle habits to individuals facing homelessness, substance use disorders, and domestic violence. The program has partnered with The Road Home Midvale family homeless shelter, the House of Hope addiction treatment center, and the domestic violence emergency shelter at South Valley Services. Program staff hosted “Lunch and Learn” sessions for workers at the Midvale shelter and maintain an active collaboration to establish healthy food donation policies.

The UUCCN is achieving one of its major goals: linking community activities with policy-level advocacy. NUIP students are addressing gaps that prevent recovery centers from billing for nutrition services, despite common malnourishment issues and the clear benefits of good nutrition during recovery. Students met with Utah Representative Kim Coleman, who asked them to present their findings to the State Opioid Task Force.

CRUSH Diabetes

Total Students Reached

18,515

Crush Diabetes Outreach Sessions

3,540

Curriculum Delivery

Utah: 9,128 students, 43 schools

Idaho: 5,847 students, 39 schools

CRUSH Diabetes had another stellar year, implementing the program in middle schools across Utah and into Idaho. In total, program staff reached more than 18,000 students! The program will expand into Arizona this autumn.

Pictured Above: During one of our community outreach activities, CRUSH Diabetes staff joined a West Jordan Middle field trip to teach about healthy eating and play Kubb!

Team Thrive

During the 2018-2019 school year, Team Thrive helped 500 teenagers at three Utah high schools practice skills that reduce risk for diabetes. Health students participated in six behavioral change-focused lessons, teaming together to increase fruit and vegetable intake and the number of steps they take each day, while decreasing added sugar intake. They tracked their progress by sharing pictures of their foods/drinks and wearing Fitbits. Every student received peer-support via app/text connection with a U of U student and evaluated their progress by completing surveys and anthropometric measurements. Students that finished the sessions increased their fruit and vegetable intake, as measured by ramen spectroscopy, and their steps per day, as measured by accelerometry. Health teachers appreciated the practicality of the innovative new curriculum.

IMPROVING PATIENT CARE with Culinary Medicine

This spring, the UUCCN delivered NUIP's successful Culinary Medicine course to clinicians from the Veteran’s Administration Medical Center (VAMC), aiming to improve nutrition care across disciplines. The participating dietitians, physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, psychologist, psychiatrists, social workers, and pharmacists met weekly in the NUIP Foods Lab, where they reviewed case studies,and chatted about behavior change tips with instructors Theresa Dvorak, MS, RD, Trish Petzold, MD, and Jean Zancanella, MS, RD. They then moved to the kitchen to practice cooking skills and share meals from a variety of cuisines. The sessions were informative, fun, and delicious!

The interdisciplinary nature of this course catalyzed conversation from clinicians across disciplines, each of whom had unique perspectives about different challenges in patient care. Participants noted that after the course they were preparing more meals at home and including greater diversity in the foods they chose. They plan to use the skills they’ve learned to train other VAMC clinicians in Culinary Medicine principles and spread the word that healthy eating, physical activity, sleep and overall wellness should be part of most patient discussions.

The VA published a nice article and video describing the course.

Pacific Islander Initiative

Pacific Health and Education Gathering 2019

On April 11 ^th and 12 ^th , the College of Health’s Pacific Islander Initiative co-hosted the 2019 Pacific Health and Education Gathering. More than 300

health care providers, stakeholders, educators, researchers, and community partners from the U.S., U.S. territories and world gathered in Utah. The Gathering provided a unique opportunity for Pacific Islanders and those working with Pacific Islander populations to share research and best practices, discuss gaps in knowledge and priorities for future investigation, establish best practices and culturally-informed research guidelines, and develop academic-community partnerships. This year, The Gathering focused on diabetes, cancer, mental health, violence prevention, maternal child health and the health career pipeline.

Participants had a lot to say about the event:

“Excellent presenters from the U.S. and the Pacific. Topics were very relevant and the information were insightful, innovative and practical.”
“Thank you for holding this conference. As a Pacific Islander college student, it was great to meet Pacific Islander health and education professionals from all over the world. I shared my research and I also learned so much from other presenters. I am inspired to finish school so I can help my Tongan and Pacific Islander community!”
“I am impressed with number of community leaders and organizations who attended and presented at this conference. Seeing elders and young students from Mana Academy discussing their views on health and education was absolutely fabulous!”

Welcome to the Team!

The UUCCN keeps getting bigger

Amy Loverin

Originally from Iowa, Amy moved to Salt Lake City a few years ago to join the CMP program. Her thesis work with Lisa Joss-Moore provided inspiration to consider an academic path for her career. She is passionate about culinary nutrition, education, and research. As a Registered Dietitian and avid rugby player, she endeavors to help others develop healthy relationships with food and exercise. When she is not working, she enjoys sports, hiking, and snowboarding. Amy will be joining Team Thrive and the UUCCN.

Paul Grayson

Paul was born in Atlanta, Georgia and raised in Nashville, Tennessee by "wannabe Italians" with great food, a scrappy community, and progressive rock, spending considerable amounts of time road-tripping the east coast. He finished his BS in Health Education before teaching at Mapleton Middle school, subsequently joining the the University of Utah to earn his Master's in Public Helath . Paul worked for the Salt Lake County Health Department as an instructor before joining our department. Paul will be joining Team Thrive and the UUCCN.

VOLUNTEER HIGHLIGHT:

Jimmy Miller

James is a 2 ^nd year student in the CMP and is completing his thesis with Dr. Anandh Velayutham. He has graciously and selflessly volunteered his time and effort to assist the UUCCN, serving in a variety of roles over the last 18 months. When James is not studying nutrition or volunteering with the center, he enjoys playing tennis and perfecting his sourdough bread recipe. We are grateful for his service.

Awards and Recognition

Faculty and Staff Awards

Russ Richardson - John R. Hoidal, MD, Senior Investigator Award
Russ Richardson - Honorary Doctorate of Science, West London Institute of Higher Education
Will Holland - Finalist for the Helmholtz Young Investigator Diabetes Award
Will Holland - Celebrate U! Award for Excellence in Research
Will Holland - Outstanding Junior Researcher, College of Health
Staci McIntosh - Outstanding Teacher and Mentor Award, College of Health
Sarah Elizabeth Levitt - College of Health Staff Inclusive Excellence Award
Scott Summers - Outstanding Senior Researcher, College of Health
Kary Woodruff, NUIP Teacher of the Year

Russ Richardson Receives Honorary Doctorate and the John R. Hoidal Senior Investigator Award

In honor of Professor Russ Richardson's consistent excellence in research, he was awarded in December of 2018 an Honorary H igher Doctorate in Sports, Health and Exercise Sciences from his alma mater, Brunel University London. This year, Russ also received the John R. Hoidal Senior Investigator Award, given to a superlative researcher in the School of Medicine.

Holland Nominated for a HeIDi

Herzliche Glückwünsche!

NUIP Assistant Professor Will Holland, PhD, was nominated for the Helmholtz Young Investigator Diabetes (HeIDi) award, which is given to a young researcher who has shown potential for transformative impact in the field of diabetes. He is one of the finalists that has been invited to present at the Helmholtz Diabetes Conference in Munich, Germany, this September, where he and his competitors will give short seminars. In addition to earning the free trip to Bavaria during Oktoberfest, he is in consideration for the cash prize of 25,000 Euros, which is given to the overall winner. Goo d Luck Will!

Student Awards

Jay Hydren, PhD Candidate

Predoctoral Fellowship,

T32 Cardiovasomobility Research Training Program, NIH

Trevor Tippetts, PhD Candidate, Predoctoral Fellowship, T32 Metabolism Research Training Program, NIH

Jae Min Cho, PhD Candidate, Doctoral Fellowship, The Graduate School, University of Utah

Tony Verkerke, PhD Candidate, Predoctoral Fellowship, American Heart Association

Jordan Johnson, Predoctoral Fellowship, American Heart Association

Patrick Ferrara, Predoctoral Fellowship,

Driving Out Diabetes Initiative, Larry and Gail Miller Family Foundation

Nica Clark, PhD Candidate, Doctoral Fellowship, Larry and Gail Miller Family Foundation

Joe Wlikerson, Postdoctoral Fellowship,

T32 Metabolism Training Grant, NIH

Suel-Ki Song, Post doctoral Fellowship

American Heath Association

Sharee Thompson , MS Graduate

2019 Outstanding Graduate Student from the College of Health

2019 Outstanding Dietetic Student award from the Utah Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

The Corinne H. Robinson Memorial Graduate Scholarship from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

The Constance J. Geiger Award for the Outstanding Clinical Dietetics Student

Nutrition and Integrative Physiology

Sarah Roberts, MS Candidate

The Maurine N. Hegsted Scholarship

Sarah Boyt, MS Candidate

The Barbara Mathis Prate Scholarship

Kennedy Springer, MS Candidate

The Constance J. Geiger Scholarship

Rebekah Nicholson, MS Candidate

The Anna M. Jacobsen Scholarship

Tahno Warren, Undergraduate Researcher

The Askew Chair's Scholarship

Alexandra Hernandez, MS Candidate

ARUP Graduate Fellowship Initiative Program

CELEBRATING STUDENT SUCCESS

Sharee Thompson, MS

2019 Outstanding Graduate Student from the College of Health

2019 Constance J. Geiger Award for Outstanding Clinical Dietetics Student for Nutrition and Integrative Physiology

2019 Outstanding Dietetic Student award from the Utah Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

The Corinne H. Robinson Memorial Graduate Scholarship from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Sharee completed the Coordinated Master’s Program in Nutrition and Dietetics with a 4.0 GPA and is planning to take the Registered Dietitian exam this Fall. Her professional goals include individual medical nutrition therapy counseling with a patient-centered collaborative approach to help improve quality of life. She has a strong commitment to dietetics and hopes to improve outcomes in nutrition and patient care.

Anthony Verkerke, PhD Candidate

2019 E. Wayne Askew Award for an Exemplary Student in Research

Predoctoral Fellowship from the American Heart Association

Lead Author, Phospholipid Methylation Regulates Muscle Metabolic Rate Through Ca2+ Transport Efficiency (2019) Nature Metabolism

Anthony (Tony) Verkerke hails from Menominee, Michigan. He graduated from University of Michigan in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. He trained with Dr. Greg Cartee in Michigan before joining Dr. Katsu Funai’s Laboratory, first at East Carolina but later relocating to the University of Utah. When not in the lab, Tony enjoys fishing and exploring Utah’s vast public lands.

Spring Awards Banquet

Poster Session

Outstanding Poster Award - Chair's Choice

Michael Gjenvick, Aryane Oar,

Sharee Thompson, Andrea Walsh - "Development of Standardized Nutrition Education for Patients with Malignant Gastrointestinal Cancer."

Outstanding Poster by a PhD Student

Annelise Poss - " Phospholipid Methylation Regulates Metabolic Rate and Alters Susceptibility for Obesity ."

Outstanding Poster by a Master's Student

Bekah Nicholson - " Investigating the Functional Consequences of a Common Human Single Nucleotide Polymorphism on Ceramide Acylation and Cardiometabolic Health ."

NUIP Award Recipients

The E. Wayne Askew Award for Exemplary Student Research

Anthony R.P. Verkerke, PhD Candidate

Exemplary Student in Research, Nutrition and Integrative Physiology

The Constance J. Geiger Award for the Outstanding Clinical Dietetics Student

Sharee Thompson, MS

Outstanding Clinical Dietetics Student, Nutrition and Integrative Physiology

Teacher of the Year

Kary Woodruff, MS, CSSD, RD

Assistant Professor (Lecturer), PhD Candidate, Nutrition and Integrative Physiology

Distinguished Alumnus of the Year

Jerusha Nelson-Peterman, PhD, RD

Chair and Associate Professor, Department of Food and Nutrition, Framinham State University

Preceptor of the Year

Joan B. Heusser, RD, CD

Health Promotion Disease Prevention Program Manager, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System

Volunteer of the Year

James Miller, MS Candidate

Nutrition and Integrative Physiology

Pictured above: Graduating NUIP Students (2019)

NUIP in the Media

Tiny Change Has Big Effects

New research suggests that compounds that block the formation of lipids called ceramides could represent a novel class of drugs to prevent diabetes and metabolic syndrome. The approach shows promise in mice.

Article Link, Medical News Today, July 2019

BEST DIETS 2019

Dr. Katherine Beals joined a panel of health experts, which included nutritionists and specialists in diabetes, heart health, human behavior and weight loss, reviewed detailed assessments prepared by U.S. News of 41 diets. The experts rated each diet in seven categories, including short- and long-term weight loss, ease of compliance, safety and nutrition.

Article Link

NUIP Participates in World Diabetes Day

NUIP Faculty members were heavily involved in the U of U's World Diabetes Day activities, which highlight the need for research and patient support to combat the diabetes epidemic.

Video Link

Everything You Want to Know About CERAMIDES

Scott Summers gives the Keynotes Lecture at the Finnish Atherosclerosis Society Meeting.

Lecture Link

IMAGINING A WORLD WITHOUT DIABETES

An initiative at the University of Utah Health has an ambitious aim: to become the leading diabetes and metabolism research center in the West and one day cure the disease that affects almost 10 percent of the U.S. population.

Article Link

Beyond "You Need to Eat Better"

VA Salt Lake City clinicians recently completed the Culinary Medicine Course at the University of Utah.

Article Link

Comfort Food in Stressful Times

Dr. Julie Metos, director of the UUCCN, has a theory:

It might have something to do with our politically divisive times.

Article Link

Blocking an enzyme keeps mice from getting diabetes, Chemical and Engineering News, July 2019

Here’s how Utah researchers prevented diabetes in cookie-dough-fed mice, Deseret News, July 2019

A small chemical change reverses prediabetes in obese mice, News Live, July 2019

Subtle chemical shift reverses prediabetes in Merck-partnered mouse trial, FieceBiotech, July 2019.

Reposted on Daily Heralds.

Gene editing can reverse prediabetes in mice, Nutrition Insight, July 2019

U researchers make tiny change in metabolism of mice, reverse prediabetes, KSL, July 2019

Potential Diabetes Target Makes Subtle Changes with Big Impact on Metabolic Health, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News, July 2019

Tiny Change Has Big Effects, Reverses Prediabetes in Mice, Press Release, U Health, July 2019. Re-posted on U News, Science Codex, Machikoni, Science Blog, Health Medicine Network, Science Daily