Human Nutrition Research Group

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It has been said that we are what we eat. If this is true, Dietitian Sheryl Aguilar and Nurse Janet Bergeson want to be key players in helping others lead healthier and more productive lives. As members of the Human Nutrition Research Group at USU’s Center for Advanced Nutrition, they work in concert with the Center’s dedicated researchers to explore ways to prevent common diseases such as hypertension, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and cancer.

Janet and Sheryl work closely with the wonderful research volunteers, managing and assessing their daily progress as they participate in clinical feeding trials. When Sheryl’s team of nutritionists make incremental adjustments in the diets of our research volunteers, Janet’s qualified team members busily collect clinical data to measure the impact of the adjustments on each individual.

Both Janet and Sheryl say they feel incredibly lucky to be part of a new generation of innovative research at USU while at the same time living in an area surrounded by natural beauty and wonderful people.

Lots of Personal Care!

Clinic personnel carefully pre-screen and monitor each participant throughout the duration of the studies. Blood pressure is just one of the readings taken by Clinic Assistant EvaAnne Keller (CNA).

Great Kitchen --

Excellent Staff!

Metabolic kitchen staff methodically weigh and measure ingredients to prepare foods to match the specifications of each study.

Research Dietitian Sheryl Aguilar (right) and Chailyn Nelson, RD, oversee food preparation and service.

Gilbertson receives 2009 College of Science Faculty Researcher of the Year

Neurobiologist Tim Gilbertson’s research focuses on how the body recognizes and responds to nutrients and how this process is tuned to the underlying nutritional needs of the organism. His research on the identification of fat receptors has led to numerous contracts with the food and pharmaceutical industry to pursue the development of fat substitutes and pharmacological agents to combat obesity and its related disorders. (more)

Our People

Human Nutrition Research Group

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