Adjunct professor of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology Elizabeth C. Theil has been awarded the 2008 Francis P. Garvan- John M. Olin Medal by the American Chemistry Society.
The award recognizes distinguished service to chemistry by women chemists, and was established in 1936 through a donation from Francis P. Garvan and has been supported by a fund set up at that time. The award was sponsored by W. R. Grace and Co. from 1979 to 1983. The Olin Corp.began sponsoring the award in 1984.
On overview of Dr. Theil's work can be found here.
A compound found in broccoli and related vegetables may have more health-boosting tricks up its sleeves, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.
Veggie fans can already point to some cancer-fighting properties of 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM), a chemical produced from the compound indole-3-carbinol when Brassica vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and kale are chewed and digested. Animal studies have shown that DIM can actually stop the growth of certain cancer cells.
Continue reading " Compound in broccoli could boost immune system, says new study" »
Reports in the press related to diet and nutrition are often conflicting -- and can easily confuse than clarify the issue of what people should eat to prevent obesity.
Researchers at the Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Center for Weight and Health recently conducted a comprehensive review of the literature published between 1992 and 2003 on the dietary determinants of obesity in children
and adults.
Read about their findings here. (PDF)
From California Agriculture
The statistics are alarming: the prevalence of overweight children has tripled over the last 30 years, and now affects one in six school-aged children nationwide. But while the problem is plain to see, the remedy has been elusive. Recent studies by UC researchers and others reveal that the rise in childhood obesity is rooted in fundamental social changes, explaining why this epidemic is so hard to control as well as bringing us closer to a solution.
“We used to think the primary cause was parenting, then we thought it was genetic,” says Pat Crawford, co-director of the Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Center for Weight and Health. “But neither could explain the rapid increase in childhood obesity — we found that a significant fraction is environmental.”
Children are considered to be overweight when their body mass index (weight divided by height squared) is at or above the 95th percentile for their age. Half of overweight children continue to be overweight as adults, increasing their risk of illnesses including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and asthma.
Continue reading "Teaming up helps bring down childhood overweight" »
Graduation day is a significant and memorable event in one's life time. It marks a transition from one phase of life to another. It is, therefore, an immense privilege for me to be here today, to celebrate with you this significant day for the graduands, faculty, administration and parents.
Congratulations to all of you!
Continue reading "Commencement address by Dr. Florence Wambugu, CEO, Africa Harvest" »
Two of CNR's finest teachers -- one known for teaching the largest lecture on campus, the other for recently creating one of Berkeley's most intimate courses -- have been named the recipients of the College of Natural Resources 2007 Distinguished Teaching Award.
Nancy Amy, associate professor of nutrition, and Kathleen Ryan, assistant professor of microbial biology, share the honor. The awards were presented May 20 at commencement.
Continue reading "Nancy Amy, Kathleen Ryan honored with College Distinguished Teaching Award" »
Professor J. Keith Gilless has been appointed interim dean of the College of Natural Resources effective July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008. Gilless joined the faculty in1983 and is professor of Forest Economics and Management jointly in the departments of Environmental Science, Policy and Management and of Agricultural and Resource Economics. He is currently serving as the executive associate dean of the College and will succeed Dean Paul Ludden, who has accepted the position of provost and vice president for academic affairs at Southern Methodist University.
Continue reading "J. Keith Gilless named Interim Dean" »
This year, CNR student Betty Sousa was one of four finalists for the University Medal.
Betty Sousa: Making the connection between public health and the environment
Hometown: Davis, Calif.
Age: 23
Major: Nutritional science: physiology and metabolism
Favorite class at Cal: My Sustainable Gardening seminar....
Continue reading "University Medal Finalist Betty Sousa" »
The Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Foundation has pledged $10 million to the Center for Weight and Health at the University of California, Berkeley, to support nutrition research and obesity prevention programs.
Continue reading "Atkins Foundation pledges $10 million to Center for Weight and Health" »
The faculty of each of CNR's departments have been ranked among the top 5 in their fields, according to a new "Scholarly Productivity Index," with the Plant Biology program ranked #1 in the nation.
The rankings, assessed by the private company Academic Analytics, are based on measurements of faculty productivity in terms of publications, federal-grant dollars awarded, and honors and awards.
Data from the 2005 rankings -- which are not without their share of controversy -- were published and explained in depth in The Chronicle of Higher Education (available by subscription here).
UC Berkeley doctoral programs from within CNR received impressive rankings:
Agricultural economics - 3
Botany and plant biology - 1
Microbiology - 3
Nutrition - 3
Toxicology - 2
Environmental Science - 4
A full list of UC Berkeley rankings is here.
A new understanding of the structure and properties of a protein responsible for regulating iron as it binds its target RNA has yielded some surprises.
The study is the first to show that partial copies of DNA called mRNA (or messenger RNA) morph into specific, three-dimensional shapes when combined with a protein regulator called IRP1. This discovery is important to researchers who design medications based on the specific characteristics of a disease.
Iron is an essential nutrient, and defects in uptake and metabolism that result in either deficiencies or overload of iron cause a variety of diseases and disorders, including heart disease, arthritis and cancer. Understanding iron regulation is important to the future design of therapeutic targets for these conditions.
“Currently, medications such as some anti-cancer drugs are based on DNA structures," said Elizabeth Thiel, co-author of the study and an adjunct professor of nutritional sciences and toxicology. "Unfortunately, the problem with targeting DNA is that healthy and cancerous cells have the same DNA. However, they have different mRNAs." Consequently, these findings could help scientists design medications that target just the disease cells, based on their mRNA.
Continue reading "Solved: Structure of Iron Regulatory Protein-RNA Complex" »
A new study led by researchers from the Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology identifies specific gene expression changes in a species of water flea in response to contaminants, lending new support for the role of toxicogenomics in environmental monitoring.
The study, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, focused on the water flea Daphnia magna, considered the lab rat of ecotoxicology because of its sensitivity to contaminants in its environment. The organism is commonly used by regulators to monitor freshwater toxicity, but the tests used typically look at levels of toxicity that will kill the water flea within 24 hours of exposure.
Continue reading "New study shows promise of genomics in monitoring environmental toxicology" »
On Homecoming weekend, Professor Marc Hellerstein presented major themes of his current research in nutritional sciences, including working with complex systems, promising research in ALS (Lou Gherig's Disease), and harnessing the health benefits of caloric restriction and exercise.
Continue reading "Biochemical Moving Pictures: Homecoming Podcast" »
Dieting, particularly in adolescence, can be counterproductive.
One expert, Joanne Ikeda, found that out when she surveyed adult women about their dieting habits in a study published in 2004 in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. She asked 149 obese women if they had dieted and if so, how many times and when.
Continue reading "Child diets don't fight obesity" »
