Scientist 1/Associate Professor
Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University
Dr. Nirupa Matthan (PhD) is a Scientist I in the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) and an Associate Professor in the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston. Her research focus is cardiovascular disease and lifestyle risk factors with specific emphasis on objective biomarkers of diet quality and endogenous metabolism. Current projects address the role of dietary fatty acids on gut microbiome and metabolome, biomarkers related to cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease, and effect of avocadoes on cardiometabolic risk factors. Past projects include diet-drug-gene interactions using the ossabaw pig model, and clinical trials on glycemic index, carbohydrate quality, trans fatty acids, soy protein and isoflavones, plant sterol/stanol esters, and in vivo fatty acid metabolism using stable isotopes. Dr. Matthan also has expertise in the measurement of cholesterol absorption and synthesis markers, apolipoprotein kinetics following dietary modification, and lipid classes using both targeted and non-targeted metabolomic/ lipidomic approaches.