Our Mission and Vision

Our Mission

The mission of the Center for Advanced Nutrition is to conduct research to develop an understanding of nutrition from the whole organism to the molecular level. The Center will use this knowledge to develop new technologies, approaches, or educational tools that promote and benefit health in human populations or that is of value to the agricultural community or food industry.

Our Vision

On March 13, 2006, Governor Jon Huntsman signed SB75 in support of the Utah Science Technology and Research (USTAR) Initiative. As a result of that action, USU has become part of an aggressive strategy to invest in high technology.USU has identified several areas of research strength, including intelligent systems, microbe biotechnology, and nutrition research. The Center for Advanced Nutrition (CAN) brings together leading private and academic scientists from various fields for collaboration and cooperative research and development in the area of nutrition.

The USTAR funding will increase USU's research capacity and will enhance efforts to commercialize faculty research, including expansion of USU's research park Innovation Campus, where the Center's future research facility will be located.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Research projects the state will see, within the next 30 years, the creation of 123,400 new jobs and the generation of $5 billion in new tax revenues.

The establishment of CAN continues Utah State University's tradition as an advocate for research and demonstrates the dedication of the State of Utah and USU to the pursuit of excellence in scientific inquiry. The University has a long history of recognizing the importance of research. In the same year that the University (then the Utah Agricultural College) became operational (1890), the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station opened its doors. That tradition has grown through the years and is woven in the fabric of each of the university's seven colleges and 46 departments.

Research Food.... Atypical, but Tasty

Preparing food for a nutrition research study kind of goes against the grain for a dietitian who has spent most of her career encouraging clients to eat well-rounded diets containing lots of vegetables, whole grains, and fresh fruits. However volunteer participants in a study being conducted by Utah State University’s Center for Advanced Nutrition (CAN) will be consuming gluten-free breads and muffins, carefully-controlled portions of vegetables, and fruits from a limited array of sources.

But dietitian Sheryl Aguilar, who guides the meal preparation for CAN’s Human Nutrition Research Center, can handle the challenge. “It’s an important study that could make a real difference in the lives of people who have elevated cholesterol levels,” she said, “and it’s a great experience for students in the nutrition field. Plus, the food actually tastes pretty good!” (more)

About CAN

Our Mission and Vision

Research Food.... Atypical, but Tasty