UAB Nutrition Sciences Chair's Report 2021

UAB NUTRITION SCIENCES: THE LEADER IN LIFESTYLE WELLNESS

CHAIR'S REPORT uab.edu/nutrition

99

95+

Master’s Students

New Publications

OUR VISION: To use lifestyle science to create a healthier, happier world.

61

Grants with Faculty PIs

25

PhD Students

4

Postdoctoral Fellows

C H A I R ’ S LE T TE R

Hello, Friends of the Department of Nutrition Sciences, I’m happy to report that we have had an exciting and productive year in the department.

As I mentioned last year, our goal is to become the premier national organization focused on lifestyle wellness, and we are well on our way.

Our research team has stayed busy carrying out federally funded studies advancing the science of nutrition and wellness.

Our education team launched a new undergraduate major in Biobehavioral Nutrition and Wellness that has been well received by the students, and our master’s and PhD programs continue to grow.

Our clinical team is laying the foundation for multiple efforts that will translate our scientific expertise into the community.

While we have broadened our vision to incorporate a holistic approach, which we call lifestyle wellness, nutrition, obesity, and diabetes research remains at the forefront of what we do. Our department is home to the Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC) and the Diabetes Research Center (DRC), and our faculty are deeply involved with the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB. A focus of the department over the past year has been in taking a precision approach to lifestyle change and management of obesity and diabetes. We recognize that we must better understand how biological, behavioral, and environmental factors impact development and management of chronic diseases differently in different people. In December 2021, we began five years of NIH funding for a Precision Nutrition Clinical Center at UAB. We also recognize the importance of embracing and supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). We are committed to continuing a conversation, which began with a series of virtual seminars in 2020, to identify barriers to career success of underrepresented researchers and change the dynamic within our department and the greater research community.

Through collaboration across our department, within the university, and in the community, we will become the place where researchers, educators, and clinicians identify how lifestyle behaviors impact health and happiness, help people adopt these lifestyle behaviors, and train others to help change lives.

I wish you good health and wellness,

CO NTE NT S

4

Education

8

Research

12

Centers

13

Awards & Honors

CONNECT WITH US! @NutritionUAB @uab_nutrition UAB Department of Nutrition Sciences Nutrition@uab.edu

JAMES O. HILL , PhD

Professor and Chair, UAB Department of Nutrition Sciences

uab.edu/nutrition Photography Disclaimer: All group photos and images of unmasked individuals were taken prior to the pandemic.

EDUCATION

The UAB Department of Nutrition Sciences is recognized globally for our ongoing contributions to the field of nutrition science. Now we are taking our curriculum to a new level by incorporating a focus on lifestyle wellness.

We are proud to offer an undergraduate major in Biobehavioral Nutrition and Wellness and a Nutrition minor. Our graduate programs include multiple master’s degree tracks with a clinical and research focus, as well as a PhD in Nutrition Sciences. With support from two NIH-funded comprehensive research centers on-site, UAB’s Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC) and Diabetes Research Center (DRC), graduate students have the opportunity to work one-on-one with internationally renowned faculty and gain exposure to a wide range of topics in the field.

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UAB Nutrition Sciences / 2021 Chair’s Report

E D U C ATI O N

A Message from the Vice Chair for Education The year 2021 has been one to celebrate for the Education Mission.

We launched our undergraduate program, increased enrollment in our MS and PhD programs, and completed the accreditation process for the Dietitian Education Program, with an outstanding final review. We received approval from the school’s Academic Affairs Committee for our Didactic Program in Dietetics, a certificate that will allow undergraduate students majoring in Biobehavioral Nutrition and Wellness to apply to a Dietetic Internship Program, not only at UAB, but anywhere in the nation. We have started meetings to open an Individualized Supervised Practice Pathway program that, if approved, will allow our PhD graduates to receive training for registered dietitian (RD) credentials. The work of the Education Mission is paying back, and we are enjoying seeing the fruits of many years of planning and creative vision.

None of this would be possible without our faculty and staff. Not only do we have amazing educators, but we have creative leaders who are not afraid to push the envelope to bring high-caliber education to our students. There are new challenges ahead of us. We need to hire new faculty to accommodate the needs of increased numbers of students, to create new administrative and staff positions to manage our programs, and to continue to increase the integration of education, research, and clinical work. However, I have been humbled to witness the commitment of our faculty to the education and training of our own and believe that we will be able to work together to overcome barriers, think outside the box, and train the best we can train. It is a challenge that inspires us all.

JOSÉ FERNÁNDEZ, PhD Vice Chair for Education

Our department is dedicated to – and excited about – training the next leaders in our field. If you’re passionate about nutrition science and lifestyle wellness, join us!

Undergraduate Major in Biobehavioral Nutrition and Wellness and Nutrition Minor

Our Biobehavioral Nutrition and Wellness (BNW) program has 16 enrolled students (20 as declared BNW majors) and 47 students enrolled in our Nutrition Minor for fall 2021.

We invite students to go beyond “you are what you eat” and dive deep into the relationships among human health, mindfulness, nutrition, and medicine. In the BNW program, we prepare our graduates to directly address health problems at multiple levels and to apply to graduate programs in nutrition sciences and other related health care fields. ■

➤ go.uab.edu/nutritionmajor

uab.edu/nutrition

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MS in Nutrition Sciences Clinical Track/Dietetic Internship (CT/DI)

One-year online program includes an in-person dietetic internship.

Dietitian Education Program Track (DEP)

Online Coordinated Program in Dietetics prepares students for credentialing exam.

Lifestyle Management & Disease Prevention Track (LMDP)

MS in Nutrition Sciences Has Record Fall 2021 Enrollment

We are excited to report a record enrollment of 99 students, with about 60% of our total enrollment in the Dietitian Education Program (DEP) and the Clinical Track/Dietetic Internship. Graduates of both of these programs are eligible to sit for the credentialing examination for registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs). ■

Our Dietetic Education Program (DEP) Gets an A+ The DEP (a graduate-level Coordinated Program in Dietetics), led by Lizzy Kroeger Davis, PhD, RDN, assistant professor, had a great year.

In August, the DEP self-study was submitted to the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), the accrediting agency for education programs preparing students for careers as registered dietitians or nutrition and dietetics technicians.

The virtual site visit for the second portion of the accreditation process took place in November, and the DEP received a glowing review from ACEND. We will learn our accreditation status in July 2022.

All of the students from the past two graduating classes have taken the RDN exam and passed on the first attempt. Also, 100% of DEP students have graduated within 150% of program length – quite an achievement, considering clinical sites were limited due to COVID-19.

Finally, from August 2020 to 2021, 20 applications for awards or scholarships were submitted for DEP students. ■

Online program prepares students to provide basic community nutrition education.

Clinical Track/Prior Learning Option (CT/PLO)

Online program allows RDs to earn a master’s degree while working.

Research Track (RT)

Mentored program prepares students to pursue a PhD in Nutrition Sciences.

Wellness Wednesdays

Since 2016, our MS in Nutrition Sciences Clinical Track/ Dietetic Internship students have participated in a schoolwide program to deliver nutrition education to the men at the Firehouse Ministries Homeless Shelter. During the pandemic, visits were suspended for over a year. The fall 2021 semester welcomed the return of many in-person activities, including Wellness Wednesdays, where our dietetic interns taught eight sessions on eating healthy. ■

➤ Learn more about our education programs at uab.edu/shp/nutrition/education.

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UAB Nutrition Sciences / 2021 Chair's Report

E D U C ATI O N

PhD Students Gain Training and Research Experience in Basic and Translational Nutrition Science

Our PhD students have the opportunity to work alongside experts in the field and in two NIH-funded research centers: the Nutrition Obesity Research Center and the Diabetes Research Center. PhD students learn the science of nutrition as it relates to maintaining the health of individuals and populations, as well as the biochemical basis and application of nutrition to promote health and prevent disease.

Our students are required to publish manuscripts during their training and are strongly encouraged to submit research and training grant proposals. Between August 2020 and October 2021, PhD students published 25 papers in peer-reviewed journals. Makenzie Callahan, Valene Garr Barry, Sarah Hoover, Lee Stowers, and Ayse Zengul were first authors on 10 papers, and David Bryan, Katie Couch, Jessica Johnson Denton, Maggie Jerome, Harleen Kaur, Bethany Moore, and Kelsey Rushing were co-authors of their publications. PhD students Katie Couch and Ayse Zengul both submitted proposals for an F31, a federal grant supporting doctoral candidates’ research and training. ■

Areas of Study: ◗ Experimental Design ◗ Nutritional Biochemistry ◗ Obesity and

Body Composition

◗ Diabetes ◗ Cancer ◗ Disease Prevention

Candidacy Students

2021 PhD Students

Postdoctoral Fellows

Jessica Denton Maggie Jerome

Ciera Bartholomew Leandra Durham Amelia Fouts Alanis Stansberry Amanda Finn Marian Yurchishin

Sarah Ehrlicher, PhD Aseel El Zein, PhD Adele Fowler, PhD Samantha Martin, PhD

Dr. Fowler and Dr. Martin were first authors on the following papers Fowler LA , Powers AD, Williams MB, Davis JL, Barry RJ, D’Abramo LR, Watts SA. The

effects of dietary saturated fat source on weight gain and adiposity are influenced by both sex and total dietary lipid intake in zebrafish. PLoS ONE. 2021 Oct 22;16(10):e0257914. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257914. PMID: 34679092.

Fowler LA , Fernández JR, Deemer SE, Gower BA. Genetic Risk Score Prediction of Leg Fat and Insulin Sensitivity Differs by Race/Ethnicity in Early Pubertal Children. Pediatr Obes.

2021 Jun 28:e12828. doi: 10.1111/ijpo.12828. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34180151.

Martin SL , Callahan ML, Chandler-Laney P. Association of gestational diabetes with child

feeding practices: A secondary analysis using data from mother-child dyads in the Deep South. Appetite. 2020 Aug 1;151:104618. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2020.104618. Epub 2020 Feb 22.PMID: 32097693

➤ Learn more at go.uab.edu/nutritionphd or contact Paula Chandler-Laney at pchandle@uab.edu.

uab.edu/nutrition

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RESEARCH

Research in the Department of Nutrition Sciences is designed to probe the mechanisms behind chronic metabolic disease (diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease), particularly as they relate to obesity, diabetes, and nutrition.

Our investigators use state-of-the-art techniques for assessing body composition, energy metabolism, and metabolic health in humans and animal models. We also study how lifestyle changes (e.g., diet, exercise, weight loss) impact health. We have three NIH Center Grants (Nutrition Obesity Research Center, Diabetes Research Center, Precision Nutrition Clinical Center) in our department. Our faculty published nearly 100 peerreviewed papers in 2021 and are PIs on 61 grants.

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UAB Nutrition Sciences / 2021 Chair's Report

RESEARCH

Disrupting the Obesity Triggers That Affect Black Women Most Adapted from an article by Matt Windsor

Barbara Gower, PhD, professor and vice chair for research, is in the middle of a fiveyear study to test if a low-sugar diet will help overcome insulin issues in Black women in the U.S. Insulin is a “builder hormone” that signals muscle and fat cells to take fuel out of the bloodstream and store it.

Dr. Gower’s previous studies have confirmed that African Americans not only secrete more insulin, but they also clear less of it. That leaves a high amount of insulin in the bloodstream after a meal, which signals the body to store fat. In the context of a diet high in sugar, which causes insulin levels to spike, individuals with high insulin secretion and

low clearance will turn more food to fat than individuals with lower insulin secretion and higher insulin clearance. While there is not much a person can do about innate insulin secretion, clearance, and sensitivity, diet is very much under our control. By eating diets low in sugary foods, or “low glycemic” diets, one can limit the flood of glucose into the bloodstream, which allows for weight loss and maintenance. In the current study, participants – all African American women – have their insulin levels measured on entrance to the study and then are randomized to either a low-glycemic or a highglycemic diet. Participants take in the same number of calories – 60% of their estimated energy requirements. Dr. Gower’s team

then determines who is more successful with keeping the weight off, considering insulin level and diet assignment. The results from this study will lead to a personalized medicine approach to weight management, allowing health care providers to match the patient’s insulin level to the diet that is right for them. ■

Can Diet Composition Alone Treat Type 2 Diabetes?

Adapted from an article by Matt Windsor

Dr. Gower’s clinical trial studies people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes who are not using insulin to determine if diet can improve blood sugar control. Lipid stored around body organs, particularly the pancreas, may damage the beta cells that manufacture and release insulin. In a pilot study, Dr. Gower demonstrated that diet modification can remove these lipid stores and increase the first phase of insulin production in people at high risk for type 2 diabetes. In the current study, participants eat one of two diets: a low-fat diet or a low-glycemic diet, designed to minimize spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels. A low-glycemic diet limits carbohydrates in favor of foods that break down slowly, such as meats, poultry, eggs, whole grains, and certain fruits and vegetables.

The aim of the study is to determine if diet can “reverse” type 2 diabetes by restoring beta-cell function, which declines progressively in type 2 diabetes. The decline is especially noticeable in the initial phase of insulin secretion. When you start eating, insulin-packed

granules in the beta cells are released within minutes.

In people with diabetes, beta cells do not immediately release insulin granules. While it's unknown what is happening at the cellular level, it seems as if the beta cells are no longer responding to glucose. Dr. Gower hypothesizes that this might be related to a condition known as lipotoxicity. When we eat more calories than our bodies can use, excess fat accumulates in the body, including the pancreas. This fat, known as ectopic lipid, is thought to damage beta cells. MRI scans will evaluate fat loss around the pancreas. Meanwhile, genetic tests and other samples will help determine which diet fits one particular group better. Not all people with type 2 diabetes are the same. A low-fat diet may work better for one group, while a low-glycemic diet may work better for others. If the clinical trial is successful, it could indicate that an inexpensive, feasible lifestyle change in diet composition may lead to disease remission and/or a slowing of diabetes progression. ■

uab.edu/nutrition

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RESEARCH

Clinical Trials Lead to FDA Approval of a New Obesity Medication W. Timothy Garvey, MD, professor and director of the Diabetes Research Center, was the primary investigator on clinical trials for Novo Nordisk’s diabetes drug semaglutide 2.4 mg, a synthesized version of a gut hormone that curbs appetite.

In June, the FDA approved the prescription weight loss drug, called Wegovy. Garvey’s team, including Dana Sides, RN, CDCES, manager clinical research, MC Robertson Lawson, RD, research dietitian and study coordinator,

and Steve McCullars, medical technologist, evaluated the effect and safety of semaglutide 2.4 mg used once weekly as adjunct to intensive behavioral therapy in subjects with obesity.

A second trial evaluated the two-year effect and safety of semaglutide 2.4 mg once weekly in subjects with overweight or obesity. A third trial compared the effect and safety of subcutaneous semaglutide 2.4 mg once weekly to liraglutide 3.0 mg once daily on weight management in subjects with overweight or obesity. Participants taking Wegovy lost weight steadily for

Time-Restricted Feeding in Cancer Patients

Courtney Peterson, PhD, assistant professor, is testing whether a form of intermittent fasting called time-restricted eating (TRE) can help cancer patients. In animal studies, combining fasting with chemotherapy has been shown to cause complete tumor regression. Acute fasting is thought to sensitize tumor cells to the toxic effects of chemotherapy and radiation while protecting healthy cells by increasing their resilience – a phenomenon known as the differential stress sensitization theory. Through a two-site clinical study funded by the National Cancer Institute, Dr. Peterson and scientists at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center are conducting the largest randomized controlled trial of intermittent fasting in cancer patients and the largest test of the differential stress sensitization theory in humans. About 300 newly diagnosed rectal cancer patients (stage II–III) will receive the standard oncological treatments and be randomized to practice TRE or eat throughout the day for about six months. The primary aim is to determine how TRE affects cancer outcomes, including side effects from chemotherapy and radiation, quality of life, and tumor regression. ■

Unlike other forms of intermittent fasting that call for a massive cut in calories, with time-restricted feeding… in principle, you can eat the same number of calories but in a shorter time period.

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UAB Nutrition Sciences / 2021 Chair's Report

16 months before plateauing and had an average weight loss of 15 percent, or about 34 pounds.

Wegovy, which patients inject subcutaneously just once a week, is now available for longterm weight management and is intended to be used in conjunction with exercise and a healthy diet. ■

Family-Based Diet Intervention to Treat Fatty Liver Disease in Adolescents Adapted from an article by Adam Pope

Amy Goss, PhD, assistant professor, is studying whether a family-based diet intervention can help treat fatty liver disease and obesity in adolescents.

With the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has emerged as the most common cause of liver disease among children and adolescents in industrialized countries. The pilot study in adolescents with NAFLD suggests that a weight-maintaining, lowglycemic, moderately carbohydrate-restricted diet can significantly improve hepatic steatosis and hepatic insulin sensitivity. A randomized controlled trial will examine the effects of a weightmaintaining, moderately carbohydrate-restricted versus fatrestricted diet on changes in hepatic lipid content. The effects will be assessed with magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy following a 12-week controlled feeding phase and a 12-week freeliving phase in adolescents with NAFLD. Dr. Goss hopes this study will help determine whether reduction in liver fat in children can reduce the risk of future chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes. ■

SMART Studies Enable Precision Nutrition Interventions Adapted from an article by Matt Windsor

Drew Sayer, PhD, assistant professor, is a pioneer in sequential multiple-assignment randomized trials, or SMARTs, for weight-loss and wellness research.

SMARTs help bridge the translational gap between traditional clinical research and implementation science or clinical practice. In a typical study, participants are randomized to intervention A or intervention B and remain with that intervention throughout the study. A SMART design builds in a predetermined time when participants are identified as responders or non-responders to their initial intervention. The responders keep going, while the non-responders are given additional and/or higher-intensity interventions to help achieve the desired results.

The goal of these studies is to create evidence-based adaptive treatment strategies that help healthcare professionals decide how to adapt their patients care plans in the face of suboptimal early results. Currently, Dr. Sayer is leading three SMARTs that are focused on developing optimal adaptive treatment strategies for improving the health and well-being of people with obesity and weight-related chronic conditions. ■

Obesity Impairs Response to Treatment in Kidney Cancer

Therapies that stimulate our body’s immune systems to fight cancer have become mainstays of clinical practice. However, the effect of obesity on cancer immunotherapy outcomes remains unclear. Lyse Norian, PhD, associate professor, and colleagues from UAB Hospital and the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics found that obesity decreased the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy in kidney cancer patients, resulting in more rapid disease progression and worse overall survival. The Norian lab then used pre-clinical models to determine that the negative effects of obesity were linked to increased inflammation that diminished the ability of the immune system to respond to immune-stimulatory therapy and eradicate kidney cancer cells. This study revealed a previously unknown link between obesity-associated inflammation and immunotherapy failure.

This suggests that controlling inflammation, particularly in kidney cancer patients with obesity, may help improve patient outcomes. ■

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RESEARCH

UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center

The Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC), under the direction of DNS Chair Dr. James Hill, is an NIH-funded, university-wide interdisciplinary research center established to foster a multidisciplinary approach to basic, clinical, and translational research and research training with the goal of understanding and treating the causal factors underlying nutrition- and obesity-related health problems. The NORC comprises three research core facilities, a pilot & feasibility program, and an enrichment program. ■

106

investigators

43 academic unit collaborators

63

R01 grants

$41m direct funding

438

publications

➤ To learn more about the UAB NORC or support its mission, visit uab.edu/norc/.

UAB Diabetes Research Center The NIDDK-funded Diabetes Research Center (DRC), led by W. Timothy Garvey, MD, focuses on developing new methods to treat and prevent diabetes and its complications. The center’s three cores, pilot & feasibility grants, and enrichment program advance the study of diabetes within the context of cardiometabolic disease leading to metabolic and vascular disease outcomes.

The DRC also helps sponsor summer research fellowships for medical students and has been awarded a supplement from NIDDK to be conducted by the DRC Interventions & Translation Core entitled “UAB Diabetes Research Center: Chronic Disease and the Reduction of Health Disparities Supplement.”

A multidisciplinary operation with researchers from UAB's schools of Health Professions, Medicine, and Public Health, the DRC operates in collaboration with the UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center to promote excellence in diabetes research and patient care.

249

DRC members in 37 different academic units

Five

pilot awardees received $50k direct dollars from the DRC

In 2021, Andrea Cherrington, MD, MPH, director of the DRC’s Interventions & Translational Core, was awarded a five-year $21.7 million grant from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities to support the Deep South Center to Reduce Disparities in Chronic Diseases, which she will lead. This center will work closely with the DRC to address the impact of diabetes and cardiometabolic disease. ■

$838k in direct funding from the NIH

129

publications on PubMed in 2021

➤ To learn more about the UAB DRC or support its mission, visit uab.edu/drc.

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UAB Nutrition Sciences / 2021 Chair's Report

AWA R D S & H O N O R S

Student Awards Undergraduate

Dr. Brenda Bertrand and Dr. Lizzy Kroeger Davis’s undergraduate research team of Carlos MartinezDiaz, Yolanda Amezaga, Courtney Carlisle, Morgan Epps, and Alexis Joiner presented their work titled “Assessing Diet Quality Among Low-Income Hispanic and Latino Adults Attending Primary Nonemergent Clinic in Alabama” at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research in April.

Master’s Abby Deal, a DEP student, received the Outstanding Dietetics Student Award for South Carolina, the 2021 UAB Graduate School Dean’s Scholarship, and the 2021 Frances E. Fischer Memorial Scholarship.

Angela Richardson, a DEP student, received the 2021 UAB Samuel B. Barker Award for Excellence in Graduate Studies (master’s level).

PhD & Postdoctoral Allyn Abadie, MA, LAT, ATC, was elected secretary, Alabama Athletic Trainers’ Association and helped pass the first update to the state practice act since 1993.

Julianne Clina, MS, received the Howerde E. Sauberlich Endowed Award Fund for Excellence in Research in Nutrition Sciences.

Jessica Denton, MS, CGC, received a $500 grant to help fund her PhD research from the National Society of Genetic Counselors Research Special Interest Group (SIG).

Valene Garr Barry, PhD, received the 2021 UAB Samuel B. Barker Award for Excellence in Graduate Studies (doctoral level) and the Dean’s Leadership and Service Award.

Maggie Jerome, MS, RD, CNSC, received a PAS 2021 Trainee Registration Grant, funded by Abbott Nutrition, for her abstract and also received the Howerde E. Sauberlich Endowed Award Fund for Excellence in Research in Nutrition Sciences.

Samantha Martin, PhD, postdoctoral fellow, was inducted as a Nutrition Obesity Research Center at Harvard (NORCH) Diversity Scholar.

Kelsey Rushing, MS, RDN, had an abstract accepted for a poster presentation at The Obesity Society Annual Meeting: Rushing K, Ticknell J, Bolyard M,Niedergeses C, Rector S, Plaisance E. Effects of a ketone supplement on energy balance and adiposity in mice on a high-fat high-sugar diet.

NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH Katie Ellison, MS, RDN, LDN, successfully petitioned Governor Kay Ivey’s office to recognize March as National Nutrition Month in Alabama and to recognize National Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day. She was appointed state coordinator chair and membership chair for the Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group under the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She was awarded the Alabama Dietetic Association’s Leadership Scholarship and was selected as a finalist for the abstract she submitted to Nutrition 2021 for the Emerging Leaders in Nutrition Science Abstract Recognition Award Program. Most recently, Katie was nominated to serve on the advisory council for the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship. ■

Faculty Awards Brenda Bertrand, PhD, RDN, professor and program director, MS in Nutrition Sciences, received the UAB President’s Award for Excellence in Shared Values.

Wendy DemarkWahnefried, PhD, RD professor and Webb Endowed Chair of Nutrition Sciences, was the Spotlight Investigator in the National Cancer Institute’s Nutrition Frontiers newsletter.

Isao Eto, PhD, associate professor, was a featured guest speaker at the 6th International Conference on Obesity and Chronic Diseases in June 2021.

W. Timothy Garvey, MD, Butterworth Professor of Medicine and director, Diabetes Research Center, was elected vice president of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE) and received the 2021 Master of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (MACE) award.

Tim Nagy, PhD, professor, received the 2021 Sam Brown Bridge Builder Award, recognizing his ability to develop and nurture relationships across UAB. Lyse Norian, PhD, associate professor, received the SHP 2020 Excellence in Scholarship Award.

Drew Sayer, PhD, assistant professor, was named the inaugural Ronald L. and David B. Allison Endowed Scholar. ■

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A LU M N I E N GAG E M E NT

Our alumni play a pivotal role in the success of our programs and students. We are grateful for these leaders and change agents who choose to give back and make a difference. Without their steadfast support, we could not continue to provide worldclass education and prepare our students to excel in their careers.

Stay Connected

Give Back

Serve Others

Join us at upcoming activities and events!

Make a Difference!

Get Involved!

◗ RDN Day on

◗ Rebecca Bradley

Endowed Scholarship ◗ Carol Brewster Craig Endowed Scholarship ◗ Roland L. Weinsier Endowed Support Fund for Nutrition Research

◗ Become a Preceptor ◗ Give a Guest Lecture ◗ Host a Breakfast

Social Media

◗ Webinars on Nutrition

& Wellness

➤ uab.edu/shp/nutrition/ news-events.

➤ go.uab.edu/ns-giving

with Blazers

Contact Amanda Sherman at asherman@uab.edu for more details and opportunities.

Blazer Forever Scholarship Recipient Scholarships support wonderful people like Corrina Kalogeropulou, a master’s student in our Lifestyle Management & Disease Prevention Track. Since 2017, she has experienced panic disorder and adenomyosis. In pursuit of her dream career as a dietitian, she has learned how nutrition can be a remedy.

My dream as a future dietitian is to utilize everything I have learned in the past four years and guide people to healing and becoming their best selves. …

By earning this degree, I hope to support many individuals and communities to reach their health goals and feel at peace within their bodies.

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UAB Nutrition Sciences / 2021 Chair's Report

LOOKING TOWARD

THE FUTURE

WEBB RENOVATIONS State-of-the-art renovations to the Webb Building will ensure that we meet the evolving needs of our students, researchers, faculty, staff, and the community. These improvements will help us take Nutrition Sciences to the next level.

Renovations to our fifth floor education space will enhance classrooms and provide breakout and study rooms for students. A new metabolic kitchen will be used for teaching students in the new undergraduate program, for research purposes, and for community engagement. A new indirect calorimetry suite will house adult and pediatric rooms and a flex room for exercise and shortterm metabolic studies. Lobby renovations on the first floor will give the students a comfortable place to gather and update Webb’s appearance from University Boulevard.

To make an impact, contact Thomas Giffin: twgiffin@uab.edu, 205-996-5469

UAB Department of Nutrition Sciences 1716 University Boulevard, SHPB 630 1720 2nd Ave South Birmingham, AL 35294-1212

Announcing the Dr. W. Timothy Garvey Endowed Scholarship in Nutrition Sciences Named in honor of W. Timothy Garvey, MD, Charles Butterworth Jr. Endowed Professor in Nutrition Sciences, as a tribute to his leadership and contribution to the department and field of Nutrition Sciences, this endowed scholarship supports students enrolled in the Department of Nutrition Sciences PhD program. Donations will be applied to a student’s tuition, fees, and other academic-related expenses.

➤ Give today at go.uab.edu/garveyscholarship or contact Leeann Pelliccio at lneal@uab.edu.