Nutrition Science Track Competencies

General Research Skills

  • Articulate evidence of and for causality: develop hypotheses
  • Use, interpret and explain statistical methods
  • Apply principles of ethics, obtain approval from review boards, practice laboratory safety
  • Use information systems to conduct efficient searches of scientific literature
  • Critically analyze relevant scientific literature

Structure, Biochemical and Metabolic Functions of Nutrients and other Dietary Constituents

  • Describe the physiological and biochemical basis for nutrient requirements
  • Specify the chemical structure and biochemical and metabolic functions of essential and nonessential nutrients
  • Identify motifs of absorption and transport of nutrients
  • Describe the integration, coordination, and regulation of macro- and micronutrient metabolism
  • Describe the regulation of nutrient metabolism and nutritional needs by hormones and growth factors
  • Identify the cellular basis of chronic diseases and degeneration
  • Describe dietary bioactive components (functional foods); nontraditional roles of nutrients; prebiotics and probiotics

Food, Diets and Supplements

  • Identify food sources of nutrients and factors affecting nutrient bioavailability
  • Compare and contrasts the effects of food processing and handling on nutrient content and bioavailability
  • Identify factors related to nutritional toxicology including upper limits of intake; nutrient-nutrient and drug-nutrient interactions
  • Define methods of diet evaluation such as myplate.gov, as well as methods of in depth nutrient analysis
  • Identify the role of nutrient supplements including risk/benefit ratios; life stage issues; component bioavailability

Nutrition and Disease

  • Identify and explain biochemical and physiological principles of nutrients as they pertain to clinical nutrition
  • Articulate the impact of disease and genetics on nutrient function and requirements
  • Explain the interactions of etiologies of chronic diseases with nutrition and exercise
  • Describe the genetic basis of inherited metabolic diseases

Nutrition Interventions and Policies

  • Compare and contrast the benefits and risks of fortification and supplementation