Ting Luo, PhD
2017 Presentation Title – Consumption of Red Raspberries, at Typical Levels of Intake Reduces Metabolic Syndrome Parameters in High-fat Fed Mice
Ting Luo, a PhD candidate in the Food Science and Technology Department at Oregon State University. Her major advisor is Dr. Neil F. Shay, and their collaborative research is focused on the consumption of whole foods and specific phytochemicals and the remediation of metabolic syndrome symptoms. In particular, the approach utilizes a mouse model in which animals are fed a high-saturated fat diet with added cholesterol and sugar to model the Western diet, contributing to the development of obesity, diabetes, and other symptoms of metabolic syndrome. Additionally, their research examines gene- phytochemical interactions and includes metabolomics approaches.
Ms. Luo received her master’s degree at the State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University in China, one of China’s top programs in Food Science and Nutrition. Her previous research explored the effects of dietary lipids on the occurrence of atherosclerosis; more specifically, the impact of triolein and trilinolein on oxidized low-density lipoprotein-induced oxidative stress in endothelial cells. She is an active member of the American Society for Nutrition, and the American Chemical Society, and has received a graduate student research award from ASN and a teaching award from OSU. Her studies at OSU are being supported in part by a graduate fellowship awarded by the Chinese Scholarship Council. Ting’s current research includes investigations on the effect of consumption of phytochemical-rich red raspberries, omega-3- rich English walnuts, and soy isoflavones. In particular, the work investigates impacts on remediation of symptoms of metabolic disease, and on the gene expression regulation via the activation of hepatic transcription factors including the PPARs, LXR, and HNF-4α.