Associate Professor
University of North Florida
My ultimate research goal is to unveil the role of functional foods and their dietary bioactive components in health and diseases. Understanding the mechanisms by which bioactive food components influence the risk of development of characteristics of metabolic syndrome including diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and obesity, and also factors affecting appetite and food intake regulatory system is my particular interest. The specific focus of my research program is on the physiological and nutritional functions of dietary proteins and peptides. Both animal and clinical approaches are applied to reveal the underlying mechanisms of functional foods and also to examine the applicability of research outcomes. It helps to transfer knowledge and findings from the lab bench to the community level and facilitates collaboration between academia, the community, and the food industry.