Precision Nutrition and Metabolic Medicine: Today’s Perspective and Looking to the Future

Join the College of Health Solutions for a precision nutrition symposium on Tuesday, March 26 from 1 to 5 p.m. Get the latest in precision health research and discuss a vision for the future through a dynamic panel discussion with presenters. This event has in-person and Zoom options for participation and registration is at no cost to you.

Keynote speaker: Elizabeth J. Parks, professor, School of Medicine, University of Missouri

Recognized as a national and international leader for her discoveries on how obesity alters the the way the human body metabolizes food, Dr. Parks has shaped the field of metabolic medicine. Major contributions of the Parks Lab include the development of novel techniques including stable isotopes, mass spectrometry, and mathematical modeling to measure the absorption and disposal of dietary fats, carbohydrates, and proteins in the body. Most notably, Dr. Parks has improved the field’s understanding of how dietary sugars are transformed into fat in the liver and contribute to liver inflammation (steatohepatitis). Her current research focuses on the mechanisms by which weight loss and exercise aid in the resolution of liver disease and diabetes. Dr. Parks is a 2020 graduate of Drexel University’s Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Program. This nationally recognized program prepares senior women faculty members at schools of medicine, dentistry, and public health to effect sustained positive change as institutional leaders. In 2023, Dr. Parks was president of The Obesity Society, the nation’s leading scientific organization for metabolic disease.

12:30 - 1 p.m. — Event check in.

1 - 1:05 p.m. — Welcome, Matthew Hulver, vice president of research, Arizona State University.

1:05 - 1:25 p.m. — Calorie Restriction and Healthspan: Highlights from the CALERIE Trial, Susan Racette, professor and director of training grants, College of Health Solutions.

1:25 - 1:45 p.m. — Precision Metabolic Health Via Simply Modified Behaviors and Exposures: It's About Time!, Dorothy Sears, professor and executive director of clinical and community translational science, College of Health Solutions.

1:45 - 2:05 p.m. — Epigenetics: Advancing Precision Health in Obesity, Min-Hyun Kim, assistant professor, College of Health Solutions.

2:05 - 2:25 p.m. — Enhancing Precision Health Through Nanotechnology Applications, Shu Wang, professor, College of Health Solutions.

2:25 - 2:40 p.m. — Networking break.

2:40 - 3 p.m. — Precision Nutrition: Understanding the Patterns and Impacts of Food Intake, Susanne Votruba, research nutritionist, epidemiology and clinical research, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Phoenix.

3 - 3:20 p.m. — Precision Impact: Advancing Health Equity through Academic-Community Collaborations; Gabriel Shaibi, professor and director, Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation; and Elvia Lish, director, Ivy Center for Family Wellness, Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

3:20 - 4:30 p.m. — Keynote address: The State of Metabolic Medicine: Leveraging the Body’s Use of Food to Support Health, Elizabeth J. Parks, professor, School of Medicine, University of Missouri.

4:30 - 5 p.m. — Q&A with presenters, moderator: Corrie Whisner, associate professor, College of Health Solutions.