External funding from agencies such as USDA, NIH, and NMFS support the department's research programs.
Faculty members have strong, collaborative relationships with individuals in disciplines such as exercise science,
gerontology, microbiology, fisheries and aquaculture, and psychology at the University of Rhode Island and at other
institutions of higher education nationwide. Faculty also collaborate with state and federal agencies, community
based agencies, and local seafood, aquaculture and feed manufacturing industries.
NFS faculty and students undertake a wide variety of research topics related to nutrition and food science.
However, most ongoing research is focused in three areas: Nutrition and Health; Marine Resource Utilization;
and Food Safety and Quality.
Nutrition and Health
Current research covers a variety of topics related to Nutrition and Health. There are active research programs
in the general areas of:
- Behavior change to reduce risk of cancer and other chronic diseases
(Greene)
- Psychosocial and environmental factors influencing food behavior and nutritional risk in diverse and low-income
aging populations (Fey-Yensan)
- Macronutrient metabolism and energy balance (Melanson)
- Weight management with particular emphasis on understanding and preventing recidivism
(Caldwell)
Marine Resource Utilization
The department has long been recognized for expertise in marine food science. Research is conducted at the Food Science and
Nutrition Research Center in West Kingston where pilot plant and seafood processing facilities exist. Current research in Marine
Resource Utilization includes:
- Surimi and fish mince technology (Lee)
- Bioconversion of marine resources into high value products, for example aquaculture feed, seafood flavorants,
and nutraceuticals (Lee)
Food Safety and Quality
Research in food safety has focused on rapid detection of quality and safety markers with emphasis on seafood
(Pivarnik)
