Program Description

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has two distinct units which offer degree programs in the field of nutrition: the Division of Nutritional Sciences and the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition (FSHN). The Department of FSHN offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees. The Division of Nutritional Sciences is the interdisciplinary program for graduate education in nutrition at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The Division is a comprehensive program of study leading to M.S. and Ph.D. degrees, alone or in combination with the M.D. degree or registration in dietetics (R.D.). The graduate programs of study are flexible enough that our students are able to individualize their course work and professional training. In addition, extensive research opportunities are available that address the spectrum from research at the level of the genome and proteome to clinical and population-based intervention studies. For further information about our graduate program, please see Admissions.

The Division has achieved an eminent record in research and graduate training and consistently is ranked among the top nutrition graduate programs in the U.S. This recognition is based primarily upon the quality of the research programs and accomplishments of Nutritional Sciences faculty and graduate students. In addition, the Division of Nutritional Sciences is one of the top programs in the country in terms of the number of graduates trained. Between 1986 and 1995, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked 3rd among all North American universities (U.S. and Canada) in terms of number of doctoral degrees conferred (Keller HH, Østbye T, Edwards HG, Johnston C. A decade of doctoral research in nutrition. J American Dietetic Association 1999; 99:1065-71). To date, the Division of Nutritional Sciences has conferred over 300 graduate degrees. After graduation, our alumni receive well-paying, challenging positions. Our M.S. degree recipients often continue on for further education in medical school or graduate school. Others step directly into employment positions as clinical dietitians, nutrition consultants, instructors in 2-year and 4-year colleges, research associates in university, industry or government (e.g. NIH) laboratories. Our doctoral degree recipients usually start their post-graduate careers as postdoctoral fellows or in medical school, often in the Medical Scholars Program (M.D./Ph.D.) at the University of Illinois. Most of our Ph.D. alumni either hold faculty positions at prestigious academic institutions or are employed as research program directors in the food and nutrition industry. Several have started their own companies or are involved in private consulting.

Research is a vital component of graduate training and the research programs of faculty associated with the Division are well supported by grants from Federal and State agencies, commodity groups and industrial organizations. The research areas encompassed by Nutritional Sciences faculty are grouped broadly into the following six theme areas. Faculty members working in each of these six theme areas are listed under Faculty Research Interests.

Animal Nutrition

Research in this area is focused on improving the growth, development and well-being of production and companion animals and reducing the environmental impact of animal production systems. Faculty members in the Division of Nutritional Sciences are conducting research investigating protein and amino acid requirements, ways in which to improve phosphorus bioavailability and the impact of fiber in the diets of companion animals and production species, manipulation of rumen microflora by diet and prebiotics and other exciting projects.

Biochemical and Molecular Nutrition

Nutritional biochemistry focuses on the metabolic fate of nutrients and investigates how nutrients act as regulators of organ, tissues and cellular function, areas now referred to as proteomics and metabolomics. Nutritional Sciences faculty also have cloned unique genes involved in protein and fat metabolism and a number of research programs are expanding into nutritional genomics. Faculty research interests include, folate, B12 and 1-carbon metabolism; branched chain amino acid metabolism; regulation of protein synthesis and degradation; lipid metabolism; vitamin A and carotenoid metabolism; and hormonal and nutrient regulation of intestinal growth.

Community Nutrition, Nutrition Education and Consumer Acceptance

In order for nutrition to impact human health and well-being, it must be applied to human populations through community and population based intervention and education programs. Likewise, consumer acceptability is an important component in the development and marketing of healthy foods. Faculty members in the Division of Nutritional Sciences are conducting research applying behavioral theories to the development of nutrition education curricula for diabetes, osteoporosis prevention and weight management, are developing and evaluating distance learning and computer-assisted education programs, and are investigating how consumers are influenced by marketing of food products.

Dietary Bioactive Components

It is now well accepted that the food we consume does more than just provide energy and essential nutrients. The University of Illinois is at the forefront of research devoted to the identification of components in food which have health benefits. Once identified, research is directed toward determining the cellular, biochemical and molecular mechanisms underlying the effect. Active areas of research include soy isoflavones, glucosinolates in cruciferous vegetables, carotenoids in carrots and tomatoes, anthocyanins in berries and fermentable fiber and other probiotics. Research spans the breadth from plant physiology to consumer acceptability.

Food Safety and Toxicology

In order to be healthful, food must be both nutritious and safe to consume. Research programs of Nutritional Sciences in this area are directed towards microbial and chemical food safety. Research is directed towards microbial food safety from the farm-gate to the plate. Research programs of Division faculty address this timely and important topic from epidemiological approaches to laboratory-based investigations. Chemical food safety is important to the study of bioactive components in food. Toxicology is the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on biological systems. A compound that may have health benefits at one concentration could be detrimental at another concentration. This particularly is important when compounds in foods are concentrated into a pill and are sold as dietary supplements.

Human and Clinical Nutrition

Dietary patterns are strongly linked to the development of 7 of the 10 top causes of morbidity and mortality in the U.S., including cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes. Clinical nutrition focuses on the treatment and prevention of acute illnesses and chronic degenerative diseases. The clinical nutritionist utilizes a knowledge base in nutritional biochemistry, anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology to determine the metabolic abnormality or pathophysiology underlying a disease state. Nutritional Sciences faculty utilize both animal models of human disease and human subjects in their research. Ongoing research projects are investigating weight management diets, cancer, diabetes and gastrointestinal, renal and pulmonary diseases.

In addition, Nutritional Sciences faculty provide significant contributions to public service by holding high offices and leadership positions in national and international scientific societies, on advisory and policy committees and on editorial boards of top scientific journals. Furthermore, many Nutritional Sciences faculty members have garnered prestigious awards for their teaching and research accomplishments from campus, college and professional societies.