Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology Quarterly Newsletter

Awards & Recognition

Welcome to the July newsletter, focused on recognizing excellence in our department.

Dr. Kristine Jordan at the Nutrition and Dietetic Educators and Preceptors Conference

Gillian Cabral accepting the Utah Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Outstanding Student Award, with CMP Academic Advisor, Amy Reeder

Dr. Boudina’s expertise in assessing cardiac function brings distinct skills to our department and the university. She has a strong record of research productivity, having acquired a number of NIH-R01 and other foundation grants, while publishing 72 peer-reviewed publications in excellent journals, including Diabetes and Circulation.

Inspired by her firsthand experience working with dialysis patients during her dietetic internship, the recent graduate, Dr. Nicholson, focused her dissertation on kidney disease, making significant contributions to our understanding of the role ceramides play in renal pathology. Her work has paved the way for a new therapy to treat kidney pathologies.

Dr. Miranda's work blends physiology, chemistry, and software programming. His innovative work on a Python script is designed to interpret mass spectrometry data. Miranda works toward a future where deep resolution omics and artificial intelligence will allow us to test mechanistic hypotheses.

NUIP class of 2025 PhD students includes: Hossein Abdeahad, Emmanuel Addo, Farah Akramimoghaddam, Marisa Brothwell, Shelby Hall, Rachel Hoobler, Jenna Link, Rebekah Nicholson, and Marie Norris.

Augustine Takyi (pictured on the right) graduated with his MS in the fall of 2024 and has since joined the NUIP PhD program.

This year's Coordinated Master's Program in Dietetics graduates include: Kiana Monet Bever, Jose Luis Torres, Olivia Alvarado, Jared Whiting, Heather Brown, Alexis Harrison, Abi Jewett, Gillian Cabral, Gracie Dezwarte, Brooke Finlinson, Megan Ireland, Aubrey Edwards, Hayden McAdoo, and Amy Speer.

Kevin Hicks was featured in UHealth's Pioneering the Future Series on biomedical innovations

Theresa Dvorak and the Culinary Medicine program blend nutrition, cooking, and community engagement

Precious Opurum's paper on sedentary behavior and chronic kidney disease was highlighted in Hypertension Research

Crystal Davey has initiated a collaborative pipeline with three specialized scientific cores to streamline CRISPR-based mouse model production

Haumana scholar, Lusia Tamala, delves into her experience conducting groundbreaking research with mentors Mary Playdon and Will Holland

In this podcast, Thunder Jalili deciphers fact from fiction on the latest TikTok nutrition trends

Watch Mary Playdon and Metabolic Kitchen colleagues Rachael Jones and Zach Hartlyn plan and prepare nutritious and delicious meals that are delivered to cancer patients, improving diet quality and recovery

Listen to a conversation with Jim Martin on the Outspoken Cyclist Podcast, where he presents research showing that changes in crank arm length, despite being noticeable to riders, don’t necessarily enhance power output 

Two of the best cyclists of all time, Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard, have recently started using shorter bike pedal cranks. This trend raises questions about the effects of crank length on efficiency and power, and how to determine the optimal crank length for individual riders.

Professor and retired professional cyclist, Jim Martin, PhD, was selected to present at the Tour de France’s Science and Cycling Conference in Lille, France this July, where scientists and experts from the competitive cycling world exchange the latest research and experiences. 

Dr. Martin’s presentation will focus on the physiology behind maximal sprinting power, submaximal efficiency, and joint-specific biomechanics. His research has shown that both sprint and endurance powers are maintained with changes in crank length. As a result, crank length is now being used as a fitting variable to optimize aerodynamics, joint range of motion, and ground clearance. In a competition that’s won by milliseconds, the smallest adjustments can result in big wins.

Crank length can also be adjusted for recreational cyclists. Riders with a variety of issues, such as hip impingement, osteoarthritis, or joint replacements, may be more comfortable using shorter cranks to reduce their range of motion. Bike fitters that Dr. Martin has interacted with say they've had great results in these areas. 

Jean enjoying retired life at the Centre Pompidou, in Paris, France

While Assistant Professor (Lecturer), Jean Zancanella, MS, RD, technically retired in the spring of 2024, she continued teaching Applied Nutrition up until the spring of 2025. Jean has had a profound impact on the professional development of countless CMP and undergraduate students, as well as her colleagues.

Jean served as the CMP Academic Advisor and Associate Director during her 28 years working at the University of Utah. She directed clinical placements, instructed Capstone students, taught Medical Nutrition Therapy I & II, and served on numerous master’s student committees, as well as University and College of Health committees.

In retirement, Jean is looking forward to traveling, hiking, reading fiction instead of scientific articles, and playing music with friends. 

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