Nutrition Science Track Competencies
General Research Skills
- Articulate evidence of and for causality: develop hypotheses
- Use, interpret and explain statistical methods
- Apply principles of ethics, obtain approval from review boards, practice laboratory safety
- Use information systems to conduct efficient searches of scientific literature
- Critically analyze relevant scientific literature
Structure, Biochemical and Metabolic Functions of Nutrients and other Dietary Constituents
- Describe the physiological and biochemical basis for nutrient requirements
- Specify the chemical structure and biochemical and metabolic functions of essential and nonessential nutrients
- Identify motifs of absorption and transport of nutrients
- Describe the integration, coordination, and regulation of macro- and micronutrient metabolism
- Describe the regulation of nutrient metabolism and nutritional needs by hormones and growth factors
- Identify the cellular basis of chronic diseases and degeneration
- Describe dietary bioactive components (functional foods); nontraditional roles of nutrients; prebiotics and probiotics
Food, Diets and Supplements
- Identify food sources of nutrients and factors affecting nutrient bioavailability
- Compare and contrasts the effects of food processing and handling on nutrient content and bioavailability
- Identify factors related to nutritional toxicology including upper limits of intake; nutrient-nutrient and drug-nutrient interactions
- Define methods of diet evaluation such as myplate.gov, as well as methods of in depth nutrient analysis
- Identify the role of nutrient supplements including risk/benefit ratios; life stage issues; component bioavailability
Nutrition and Disease
- Identify and explain biochemical and physiological principles of nutrients as they pertain to clinical nutrition
- Articulate the impact of disease and genetics on nutrient function and requirements
- Explain the interactions of etiologies of chronic diseases with nutrition and exercise
- Describe the genetic basis of inherited metabolic diseases
Nutrition Interventions and Policies
- Compare and contrast the benefits and risks of fortification and supplementation