The research mission of the Human Nutrition and Dietetics Group is to advance knowledge regarding the role of nutrition in human health. Our comprehensive approach includes studying the roles that whole foods, individual nutrients, and non-nutritive food components have at the whole body, cellular and molecular level in various population groups and model systems. We also examine environmental, social, and individual determinants of food choices and eating patterns.
Research
Faculty Members In The Human Nutrition Group

Michael Zulyniak
Associate Professor, Food, Nutrition and Health

Tamara Cohen
Director of Dietetics
Assistant Professor, Food, Nutrition and Health

Rajavel Elango
Associate Member, Human Nutrition
Associate Professor, School of Population and Public Health

Annalijn Conklin
Associate Member, Human Nutrition
Associate Professor, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Angela Devlin
Associate Member, Human Nutrition
Associate Professor, Division of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics

Rachel Murphy
Associate Member, Human Nutrition
Assistant Professor, School of Population and Public Health

Mahsa Jessri
Assistant Professor, Food, Nutrition and Health
Centre for Health Services and Policy Research (CHSPR)
Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Nutritional Epidemiology for Population Health

Barbara Stefanska
Associate Professor, Food, Nutrition and Health

Yvonne Lamers
Associate Professor, Food, Nutrition and Health

Crystal Karakochuk
Associate Professor, Food, Nutrition and Health
Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Micronutrients and Human Health

Jennifer Black
Associate Professor, Food, Nutrition and Health

Zhaoming Xu
Associate Professor, Food, Nutrition and Health
Adjunct Professors In The Human Nutrition Group
- Ryna Levy Milne
Recent headlines from the Human Nutrition Group:
- UBC News: Hitting the Sweet Spot
- Fitness Magazine: Should You Give Up Dairy to Lose Weight?
- The Globe and Mail: Campus eating beyond fast food or the meal plan
- UBC News: Kids eat better if their parents went to college
Facilities
Clinical Nutrition Research Laboratory

Our Clinical Nutrition Laboratory is equipped with an array of state-of-the-art analytical instruments, such as headspace GC-FID, GC-MS, HPLC-DAD, and UHPLC-DAD, etc.. Our researchers and graduate students are capable of determining and characterizing a wide range of nutrients (i.e., vitamins and amino acids), phytosterols, antioxidants, flavonoids and their metabolites. It provides an excellent training environment for graduate students.
Clinical Research Unit

The Clinical Research Unit is comprised of a reception lounge, clinic rooms, a sample preparation area and a meeting room, that is equipped with an observation mirror and an audio/video system. The room is suitable for conducting small focus group meetings, and behavior and consumer studies. In addition, the Unit is also equipped with many clinical research tools, including a bioimpedance scale, stadiometer, calipers, blood pressure monitor, glucometers, hemoglobin analyzers, urine analyzer, a metabolic cart and a fully stocked phlebotomy station for blood sample collection.
Vij’s Kitchen & Culinary Laboratory

The Culinary Laboratory is equipped with numerous modern kitchen stations and a demonstration station. The on-site audiovisual system enables filming, videoconferencing, distance education, and live-webcasting. The Laboratory provides a great learning environment for students to learn basic food theory and food preparation and multicultural culinary technics and skills. It has been frequently used for culinary classes on regional cuisine.
Sensory Laboratory

The Sensory Laboratory consists of fourteen panelist booths complete with delivery windows and red lighting. The Sensory Lab is connected to the Culinary Laboratory for preparing food samples and a boardroom for panelist training. The Laboratory is ideal for teaching, research and commercial testing.
Academics
- Food, Nutrition and Health Major (BSc FNH)
- Nutritional Sciences Major (BSc FNH)
- Food and Nutritional Sciences Double Major (BSc FNH)
Graduate: Human Nutrition (MSc, PhD programs)