Our Focus
The primary goal of our research program is to integrate multiple disciplines including nutrition, food, agricultural, and biomedical sciences to perform translational research studies.
The lab will:
- Identify foods, particularly those rich in polyphenols such as flavonoids, that exert functional effects on human physiology and health;
- Critically examine the clinical efficacy of nutrition and food-related interventions, namely polyphenol-rich functional foods, to improve vascular function and reduce cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk factors in high-risk aging human populations;
- Evaluate underlying mechanisms by which nutrition and food-related interventions induce clinical responses;
- Explore the bidirectional relationship between nutrition and food-related interventions and food systems as they relate to human health and sustainability; and
- Inform evidence-based practice and dietary recommendations.
A population of particular interest is postmenopausal women, as the physiological changes that occur throughout the menopausal transition and postmenopausal period accelerate the development and progression of chronic diseases and conditions, particularly vascular dysfunction and cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Sarah A. Johnson, Director
Recent Publications
Our Team
Dr. Sarah A. Johnson, Director
Students
- Sylvia Lee, M.S. – Ph.D. candidate, 3rd year
- Nancy Ghanem, M.S. – Ph.D. candidate, 3rd year
- Jenny Whittington, M.S. student, 3rd year
- Aaron Nacey – M.S. student, 2nd year
Staff
- Clinical Coordinator – Position to be filled
Left to right: Nancy Ghanem, Dr. Sarah Johnson, Dr. Emily Woolf, Sylvia Lee
