Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Short-term Outcomes:

• Objective 1 projects:
  • Trained scientists in telomere length assay to use in their research.  In particular, collaborators are using this assay to study the adverse health effects of alcohol and how it affects Fetal Alcohol spectrum disorders.
  • We have begun utilizing targeted lipidomics (emerging field of biomedical research which includes complex lipidome [set of lipid species in an organism] analysis) to identify alterations of fatty acid oxylipins in conditions affecting muscle health such as cachexia, obesity and type 2 diabetes.
• Objective 2 projects:
  • Conducted four focus groups in Iowa that helped identify areas for improvement of the congregate meal program that are being applied as part of a meal program innovations project.
  • Conducted four focus groups in Iowa that helped identify barriers toward Meals on Wheels program participation and provided strategies to help local provider increase program awareness among community-residing older adults.
• Objective 3 projects:
  • Promoted awareness of the SNAP among 2,976 older Iowans; 8 % of participants were better informed about SNAP after attending these outreach sessions.
  • Conducted four-week program to 151 older Iowans that significantly increase familiarity about consuming three meals, protein, and produce daily and being physically active. The majority also reported being very likely to make the recommended lifestyle behavior after each lesson: Meals (50.3%), Produce (53.7%), Protein (78.5%), and physical activity (53.7%).
  • Increased the knowledge of students to nutrition assessment techniques in older adults
  • Improved prioritization of need for meals and nutrition services among vulnerable older adult populations
• Created jobs: 1 previous doctoral student is now postdoc at Mississippi State University and another is an Assistant Research Professor at Mississippi State University

Outputs:

• Collectively we trained 23 undergraduate students, 19 graduate students, and 2 Post-Doctoral Associates. The skills acquired by these trainees include:
• Quantitative research (e.g., data collection, data entry, analysis)
• Qualitative research (e.g., conducting focus groups, analyzing focus group data, etc.)
• Professional writing (e.g., manuscripts, abstracts, theses)
• Laboratory skills (e.g., telomere length assays, northern blots, etc.)
• Anthropometric measures (e.g., height, weight, skin folds, etc.)
• Nutritional Status assessment (e.g., DST, MNA)
• Dietary Intake Assessment (e.g., 24-hour food recalls, food records, etc.)
• Collectively we received 12 grants ($538,361.67Total); listed at end of this section
• The team published 13 journal articles including 1 joint journal article (Massachusetts, Illinois, and Iowa) and 3 published abstracts (1 joint abstract [West Virginia and Rhode Island]).
• The team provided 17 research presentations; 1 of which was a joint presentation
• The team supervised the publication of 4 theses and/or dissertations.
• 1 informational handout and 2 Extension lessons with supplemental materials were produced

Activities:

• Four states (ISU, UMass, NYU, and WVU) published an article related to a study conducted 2015-2017 (Objective 2).

• Preparation has been started for six articles that will be submitted for a consideration in a special issue in Topics in Clinical Nutrition about the work that has been completed through the NE1439 multistate project. (All objectives)

Milestones:

• Incorporated the prioritization tool in the screening of needs in all nutrition programs in the state of Maryland
• This year, we evaluated consumer perceptions of environmental supports for healthy eating among older adults.
• We have identified and begun collaboration with two experts in targeted lipidomics.

Funding Received (12 total; $538,361.67)

1. Funding Period: September 2018 to Present Title of Grant: Linn County Innovations in Nutrition Program Funder: Iowa Department on Aging Grant Amount: $25,360 Role: Sarah L. Francis, Evaluator
2. Funding Period: October 1, 2017 to September 30, 2018 Title of Grant: Fresh Conversations Evaluation Funder: Iowa Department of Public Health Grant Amount:  $33,747 Role: Sarah L. Francis, Consultant
3. Funding Period: October 1, 2017 to September 30, 2018 Title of Grant: Promoting Wellness and Independence for Midlife and Older Iowans through the Iowa Food Assistance ProgramFunder: Iowa Department of Human Services Grant Amount:  $36,558 Role: Sarah L. Francis, Principal Investigator
4. Funding Period: July 1, 2018 to Present Title of Grant: Nutrition Education with Seniors (NEWS) education program Funder: Department of Community, Family and Youth Services Senior Services and Commodity Supplemental Foods Programs in Polk County  Grant Amount: $15,996.67
5. Funding Period: November 1, 2017 through July 15, 2019 Title of Grant: Innovation in Nutrition Service Project: Home Delivered Meals Screening Funder: Maryland Department of Aging Grant Amount: $9000 Role: Nadine Sahyoun, PI
6. Funding Period: March 1, 2018 through August 31, 2018 Title of Grant:  Methods for making synthetic antibodies Funder: Rutgers University Office of Research and Economic Development. Grant Amount: $10,000 Role: William Belden, PI
7. Funding Period: 2017-2018. Title of Grant: Focus Groups Funder: University of Minnesota Grant Amount: $1700
8. Funding Period: September 1, 2018 through August 31, 2021  Title of Grant: Optimized selenium intake, gut microbiota and diabetes  Funder: National Institutes of Health  Grant Amount: $300,000 + F&A ($100,000/year)  Role:  Wen-Hsing Cheng, PI
9. Funding Period: October 1, 2017-September 30, 2018 Title of Grant: Changing the Health Trajectory for Older Adults through Effective Diet and Activity Modifications.  Funder: USDA NIFA NE- 1439 Regional Research Project, Mass Ag Experiment Station   Grant Amount: Approximately $6000 Role: N. Cohen, PI of Massachusetts project
10. Funding Period: Period: Sep 2018- Aug 2023 National Needs Fellowship: Multidisciplinary Training of Fellows in Food & Nutrition for Obesity & Cancer Prevention     $ 75,000 /year USDA 2017-09503   Role: Project Director.  Co-Directors: S. Clinton, K. Lee, Y. Vodovotz 
11. Funding Period: Jan 2018-Jan 2020  Dietary fats, mitochondrial function and muscle health in cancer patients  Martha Belury and Subha Raman, Dual PI  Funding NIH/NCI R21206566  $125,000/year Role:  PI, 10%     Co-Is: R. Andridge, M. Lustberg
12. Funding Period: Aug 2017 to Jul 2018 Beef intake and muscle strength, cardiometabolic health and fatigue in women with breast cancer  Martha Belury, PI National Cattlemen Beef Association  Period $100,000 / year. Co-I: R. Andridge