Careers

Location: Texas A&M University, Bryan-College Station

Advisor: Patrick J. Stover, Ph.D., Department of Nutrition, Texas A&M University, Bryan-College Station, Texas.

Overview: What We Eat in America (WWEIA), assesses and reports the dietary intake of the U.S. population. The data are used to inform Federal food and nutrition policy and by researchers to investigate associations between diet and health. Intake of energy and 64 nutrients is reported in WWEIA as they are the traditional nutrients available in USDA’s National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. Launch of USDA’s FoodData Central in 2019 has changed the source for nutrient values in WWEIA. It is unclear if data for all nutrients reported in WWEIA are needed for nutrition monitoring and research and what other nutrients might be needed. This project seeks to identify nutrients/food components scientifically and systematically to be reported by national dietary intake assessment to develop an evidence-based rationale/criteria for inclusion or exclusion.

Qualifications: Ph.D. in a relevant discipline (e.g., nutrition, public health or a related discipline). Essential requirements include proficiency in experimental design and data analysis.

Location: USDA-ARS Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland

Advisor: Alanna Moshfegh, Ph.D., USDA-ARS Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.

Overview: What We Eat in America, WWEIA, assesses and reports the dietary intake of the U.S. population. The data are used to inform federal food and nutrition policy and by researchers to investigate associations between diet and health. Intake of energy and 64 nutrients is reported in WWEIA as they are the traditional nutrients available in USDA’s National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. Launch of USDA’s FoodData Central in 2019 has changed the source for nutrient values in WWEIA. It is unclear if data for all nutrients reported in WWEIA are needed for nutrition monitoring and research and what other nutrients might be needed. This project seeks to identify nutrients/food components scientifically and systematically to be reported by national dietary intake assessment to develop an evidence-based rationale/criteria for inclusion or exclusion.

Qualifications: Ph.D. in a relevant discipline (e.g., nutrition, public health or a related discipline). Essential requirements include proficiency in experimental design and data analysis.

Note: Candidates interested in applying for this position must be authorized to work in the U.S. Sponsorship is not available.

Location: Texas A&M University, Bryan-College Station

Advisor: Jeffery Tomberlin, Ph.D., Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, Bryan-College Station, Texas.

Overview: The commercial industry around entomophagy was valued at $33 million in 2015, with future growth estimated at more than 40% by 2023. Insects that have been eaten historically are generally considered safe for human consumption if properly processed like other animal products. The release of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation’s publication “Edible Insects: Future Prospects for Food and Feed Security” in 2013 accelerated attention to the past, present and future uses of insects as components of human diets and as animal feed ingredients. From the research world, studies on the role of insects in food systems cross disciplinary boundaries and bring together scientists from natural and social science as well as the humanities to document the past and explore the future potential of this group of organisms that up until now have escaped the globalization of food systems. This research will address the knowledge gaps related to the incorporation of edible insects as part of Precision Nutrition.

Qualifications: Ph.D. in a relevant discipline (e.g., nutrition, entomology or a related discipline). Essential requirements include proficiency in insect rearing, experimental design, and data analysis.

Location: Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts

Advisors: Joel Mason, Ph.D., and Jose Ordovas, Ph.D., Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts.

Overview: The commercial industry around entomophagy was valued at $33 million in 2015, with future growth estimated at more than 40% by 2023. Insects that have been eaten historically are generally considered safe for human consumption if properly processed like other animal products. The release of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation’s publication “Edible Insects: Future Prospects for Food and Feed Security” in 2013 accelerated attention to the past, present and future uses of insects as components of human diets and as animal feed ingredients. From the research world, studies on the role of insects in food systems cross disciplinary boundaries and bring together scientists from natural and social science as well as the humanities to document the past and explore the future potential of this group of organisms that up until now have escaped the globalization of food systems. This research will address the knowledge gaps related to the incorporation of edible insects as part of Precision Nutrition.

Qualifications: Ph.D. in a relevant discipline (e.g., nutrition, entomology or a related discipline). Essential requirements include proficiency in insect rearing, experimental design, and data analysis.

Note: Candidates interested in applying for this position must be authorized to work in the U.S. Sponsorship is not available.

Location: Texas A&M University, Bryan-College Station

Advisor: Joseph Awika, Ph.D., Department of Food Science and Technology, Texas A&M University, Bryan-College Station, Texas.

Overview: One barrier to precision nutrition is that today’s analysis of diet is summarized at the level of broad food groups or fewer than 100 nutrients. A comprehensive food composition database, FooDB, contains over 15,000 unique biochemicals detected in food. More than 99% of our nutrient exposure is unidentified “dark matter” that is not captured in dietary analyses. Human gut microbiomes harbor thousands of enzymes not available in the human genome and it has been shown that gut microbiota composition influences even post-prandial glucose in healthy adults. Current dietary recommendations do not account for the thousands of chemical compounds in foods or incorporate the functional capacity of the consumer’s gut microbiome. The aim of this research is to predict microbiome-aware health effects of foods with different fine-scale compositions. The proposed approach is to map existing diets to fine-scale chemical components and to use these as input features to machine learning models. Microbial genes and/or metabolic modules predicted from microbiome data in human studies will also be used as input features to the models to predict a health-related endpoint, such as fecal pH or gastrointestinal inflammation or blood glucose.

Qualifications: Ph.D. in a relevant discipline (e.g., food science, food chemistry, nutrition or a related discipline). Essential requirements include proficiency in experimental design and data analysis.

Location: USDA-ARS Laboratory, University of California, Davis, California

Advisor: Danielle G. Lemay, Ph.D., USDA-ARS Laboratory, University of California, Davis, California.

Overview: One barrier to precision nutrition is that today’s analysis of diet is summarized at the level of broad food groups or fewer than 100 nutrients. A comprehensive food composition database, FooDB, contains over 15,000 unique biochemicals detected in food. More than 99% of our nutrient exposure is unidentified “dark matter” that is not captured in dietary analyses. Human gut microbiomes harbor thousands of enzymes not available in the human genome and it has been shown that gut microbiota composition influences even post-prandial glucose in healthy adults. Current dietary recommendations do not account for the thousands of chemical compounds in foods or incorporate the functional capacity of the consumer’s gut microbiome. The aim of this research is to predict microbiome-aware health effects of foods with different fine-scale compositions. The proposed approach is to map existing diets to fine-scale chemical components and to use these as input features to machine learning models. Microbial genes and/or metabolic modules predicted from microbiome data in human studies will also be used as input features to the models to predict a health-related endpoint, such as fecal pH or gastrointestinal inflammation or blood glucose.

Qualifications: Ph.D. in a relevant discipline (e.g., food science, food chemistry, nutrition or a related discipline). Essential requirements include proficiency in experimental design and data analysis.

Note: Candidates interested in applying for this position must be authorized to work in the U.S. Sponsorship is not available.

Location: Texas A&M University, Bryan-College Station/El Paso

Advisor: Elizabeth Racine, Ph.D., Department of Nutrition, Texas A&M University, Bryan-College Station, Texas.

Overview: The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, DGA, indicates that the population group with the greatest differences between recommended food group amounts and current intakes is adolescent females ages 14-18. This gap between recommendations and intake is especially concerning because adolescence is such a crucial period of growth and development. In addition, adolescents have more autonomy over food choices than younger children but are still dependent on their parents or guardians for the types of foods available in the home and the preparation of those foods. Adolescent females are, therefore, an ideal population subgroup to benefit from precision nutrition research. Using a precision nutrition approach, this project proposes to develop a more detailed understanding of the current nutritional status of adolescent females and a broader and deeper understanding of the factors affecting the dietary choices of adolescent females and their parents. First, national survey data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, NHANES, and WWEIA 2015-2018 will be used to develop an updated assessment of the current nutritional status of American adolescents ages 9-18 to understand nutrient intakes, food intakes, and health markers of this group as well as how dietary intakes change during adolescence (from ages 9-13 to 14-18). Using the findings of NHANES and WWEIA information as context, this project will then evaluate the impact of different influences on the dietary choices of adolescent females and their parents or guardians using survey methodology. A large national survey study of adolescent females 14-18 and the parent or guardian most responsible for the food environment within the home will be conducted to inform responsive agriculture decisions by providing a better understanding of the personal, parental, environmental, and macrosystem factors that affect their nutrition.

Qualifications: Ph.D. in a relevant discipline (e.g., nutrition or a related discipline). Essential requirements include proficiency in experimental design, data analysis, and scientific writing.

Location: USDA-ARS Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, Grand Forks, North Dakota

Advisors: Julie Hess, Ph.D., and James Roemmich, USDA-ARS Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Overview: The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, DGA, indicates that the population group with the greatest differences between recommended food group amounts and current intakes is adolescent females ages 14-18. This gap between recommendations and intake is especially concerning because adolescence is such a crucial period of growth and development. In addition, adolescents have more autonomy over food choices than younger children but are still dependent on their parents or guardians for the types of foods available in the home and the preparation of those foods. Adolescent females are, therefore, an ideal population subgroup to benefit from precision nutrition research. Using a precision nutrition approach, this project proposes to develop a more detailed understanding of the current nutritional status of adolescent females and a broader and deeper understanding of the factors affecting the dietary choices of adolescent females and their parents. First, national survey data from NHANES and WWEIA 2015-2018 will be used to develop an updated assessment of the current nutritional status of American adolescents ages 9-18 to understand nutrient intakes, food intakes, and health markers of this group as well as how dietary intakes change during adolescence (from ages 9-13 to 14-18). Using the findings of NHANES and WWEIA information as context, this project will then evaluate the impact of different influences on the dietary choices of adolescent females and their parents or guardians using survey methodology. A large national survey study of adolescent females 14-18 and the parent or guardian most responsible for the food environment within the home will be conducted to inform responsive agriculture decisions by providing a better understanding of the personal, parental, environmental and macrosystem factors that affect their nutrition.

Qualifications: Ph.D. in a relevant discipline (e.g., nutrition or a related discipline). Essential requirements include proficiency in experimental design, data analysis, and scientific writing.

Note: Candidates interested in applying for this position must be authorized to work in the U.S. Sponsorship is not available.

Location: Texas A&M University, Bryan-College Station

Advisors: Sharon Donovan, Ph.D., and Robert Chapkin, Ph.D., Department of Nutrition, Texas A&M University, Bryan-College Station, Texas.

Overview: Epidemiologic studies support numerous benefits of breastfeeding compared to formula feeding, particularly related to gut and immune outcomes. Gastrointestinal and immune development are influenced by dietary intake and the gut microbiome. Human milk oligosaccharides, HMOs, a group of complex carbohydrates that represent the third most abundant component of human milk, can both directly and indirectly (via the microbiome) affect intestinal epithelial and immune cells. The goal of this research is to investigate the molecular mechanisms whereby HMOs regulate intestinal epithelial and mucosal immune cells using germ-free and gnotobiotic mice in combination with single-cell sequencing.

Qualifications: Ph.D. in a relevant discipline (e.g., biochemistry, nutrition, microbiology, bioinformatics or a related discipline). Essential requirements include proficiency in experimental design and data analysis.

Location: USDA-ARS Laboratory, Little Rock, Arkansas

Advisor: Laxmi Yeruva, Ph.D., USDA-ARS Laboratory, Little Rock, Arkansas.

Overview: Epidemiologic studies support numerous benefits of breastfeeding compared to formula feeding, particularly related to gut and immune outcomes. Gastrointestinal and immune development are influenced by dietary intake and the gut microbiome. Human milk oligosaccharides, HMOs, a group of complex carbohydrates that represent the third most abundant component of human milk, can both directly and indirectly (via the microbiome) affect intestinal epithelial and immune cells. The goal of this research is to investigate the molecular mechanisms whereby HMOs regulate intestinal epithelial and mucosal immune cells using germ-free and gnotobiotic mice in combination with single-cell sequencing.

Qualifications: Ph.D. in a relevant discipline (e.g., biochemistry, nutrition, microbiology, bioinformatics or a related discipline). Essential requirements include proficiency in experimental design and data analysis.

Location: Texas A&M University, Bryan-College Station

Advisor: Joseph Outlaw, Ph.D., Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University, Bryan-College Station, Texas.

Qualifications: Ph.D. in a relevant discipline (e.g., agricultural economics or a related discipline). Essential requirements include proficiency in experimental design and data analysis.

Location: Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, Texas

Advisor: Sunil Dhoubhadel, Ph.D., Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, Texas.

Qualifications: Ph.D. in a relevant discipline (e.g., agricultural economics or a related discipline). Essential requirements include proficiency in experimental design and data analysis.

Location: Texas A&M University, Bryan-College Station

Advisor: Thomas (Matt) Taylor, Ph.D., Department of Food Science and Technology, Texas A&M University, Bryan-College Station, Texas.

Qualifications: Ph.D. in a relevant discipline (e.g., food science or a related discipline). Essential requirements include proficiency in experimental design and data analysis.

Location: Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, Texas

Advisor: Javad Barouei, Ph.D., Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, Texas.

Qualifications: Ph.D. in a relevant discipline (e.g., food science or a related discipline). Essential requirements include proficiency in experimental design and data analysis.

Location: Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Dallas

Advisor: Chad Rethorst, Ph.D., Department of Nutrition, Texas A&M University, Dallas, Texas.

Qualifications: Ph.D. in a relevant discipline (e.g., nutrition or a related discipline). Essential requirements include proficiency in experimental design and data analysis.

Location: Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, Texas

Advisor: Janet Antwi, Ph.D., Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, Texas.

Qualifications: Ph.D. in a relevant discipline (e.g., nutrition or a related discipline). Essential requirements include proficiency in experimental design and data analysis.