Why Research?
Until I stepped foot into Dr. Hulver’s laboratory at Virginia Tech my academic life came straight from the books, nothing was unpredictable, and the answer was always A, B, C, or D. There was occasionally a “none of the above” option on an exam but that never meant the answer didn’t exist, it simply meant the professor had not provided the correct answer in his or her choices.
As an undergraduate majoring in Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, my classes primarily focus on the effects of diet and exercise on health and disease outcomes. We study dietary recommendations, how to calculate individual energy requirements, and how macro and micronutrients move through intertwined pathways to provide the body with the means to carry out all of its diverse functions. When healthy, the human body has the ability to use specific nutrients that are ideal for its current state. For example, after you eat dinner your body should rely on glucose as its source of energy, and this is what happens if you are what is termed “metabolically flexible”. However, over a third of Americans are obese, and research shows that obese individuals are more likely to be metabolically inflexible. This implies that the majority of American’s bodies may not be working in a way that will allow them to use food to benefit their health.
What is the cause of the progressive increase of obese individuals in America that has led to an epidemic? Unfortunately those answers are not in the textbooks. However the answer is not “none of the above” either, it just hasn’t been discovered yet. As a future professional in the healthcare field I believe it is important to be a part of the discovery of the answers to the questions that will help Americans reach their full potential. I believe this discovery begins with research into the mysteries of diet effects on the human body.
As an undergraduate majoring in Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, my classes primarily focus on the effects of diet and exercise on health and disease outcomes. We study dietary recommendations, how to calculate individual energy requirements, and how macro and micronutrients move through intertwined pathways to provide the body with the means to carry out all of its diverse functions. When healthy, the human body has the ability to use specific nutrients that are ideal for its current state. For example, after you eat dinner your body should rely on glucose as its source of energy, and this is what happens if you are what is termed “metabolically flexible”. However, over a third of Americans are obese, and research shows that obese individuals are more likely to be metabolically inflexible. This implies that the majority of American’s bodies may not be working in a way that will allow them to use food to benefit their health.
What is the cause of the progressive increase of obese individuals in America that has led to an epidemic? Unfortunately those answers are not in the textbooks. However the answer is not “none of the above” either, it just hasn’t been discovered yet. As a future professional in the healthcare field I believe it is important to be a part of the discovery of the answers to the questions that will help Americans reach their full potential. I believe this discovery begins with research into the mysteries of diet effects on the human body.
My proposal was written with the help of my faculty mentor Dr. Matthew Hulver and a PhD student Joseph Stevens. This proposal obtained me a position in the Fralin Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship at Virginia Tech for the Summer of 2013.
The Role of Hepatic Glucose Metabolism in LPS-mediated Glucose Clearance
Following the acceptance of my proposal, I completed a 10 week study to determine preliminary findings regarding the liver's role in acute LPS-mediated Glucose Clearance. The findings from my study are still preliminary, and research is continuing to determine the role of gut derived endotoxin on glucose metabolism in the liver.
Following the acceptance of my proposal, I completed a 10 week study to determine preliminary findings regarding the liver's role in acute LPS-mediated Glucose Clearance. The findings from my study are still preliminary, and research is continuing to determine the role of gut derived endotoxin on glucose metabolism in the liver.
The culmination of Fralin's Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship occurred at Virginia Tech's Summer Undergraduate Research Conference on July 31, 2013. I presented my preliminary findings along with the skills I learned over the 10 weeks to Virginia Tech professors, parents, and my fellow students.