UConn Nutrition

This summer, UConn Nutritional Sciences student Lauren Hille has been making meaningful contributions at CHAMP (the Consortium for Health and Military Performance). Her work has focused on nutrient analysis and recipe optimization to support the health and performance of military personnel. Lauren has been using ESHA Genesis software to review and update recipes to ensure nutritional accuracy and adding key nutrients like Vitamin A, C, D, Omega-3s, and added sugars. She’s also been calculating nutrient yields, adjusting ingredient amounts, and applying the Go for Green coding system to assess the nutritional value of each recipe. Another recent project involves measuring whole grain content in baked goods and breads. Beyond these core projects, Lauren has participated in recipe testing, consumer panels, and team meetings, and recently shadowed a food technologist to learn more about recipe development and testing. We’re proud to support our students by providing them with opportunities for hands-on experiences.

This summer, Linh Tran, a Nutritional Sciences student at UConn, took her classroom knowledge to the frontlines of innovation at the Nutrient Analysis Laboratory at U.S. Army DEVCOM—an internship proudly sponsored through our department. Working alongside senior chemists, Linh contributed to food and medical-related projects. From learning advanced lab techniques to participating in team meetings, she gained invaluable hands-on experience in a real-world research environment. We’re proud to support students like Linh as they apply their education to meaningful, mission-driven work.

Siman Liu, a PhD student in UConn Nutritional Sciences, has been awarded a prestigious fellowship from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research. Her project focuses on transforming seaweed into a probiotic yogurt that supports gut health, ocean health, and the local economy.

Congratulations to UConn Nutritional Sciences undergraduate Nicole McKinney on receiving the Margaret J. Ware Research Scholarship in Human Nutrition! Supported by this scholarship, Nicole secured an internship this summer with PURIS Foods, a leader in plant-based protein innovation. She is working alongside their Research & Development team, gaining hands-on experience in analytical and application testing to support PURIS's customers and to help bring cutting-edge protein technologies to market. We’re excited to see Nicole's contributions to the future of nutrition!

On Friday, June 13, UConn Health hosted the third biannual Immunology, Metabolism, and Nutritional Sciences Symposium, with researchers presenting and discussing their cutting-edge work in these interconnected fields. https://xmrrwallet.com/cmx.plnkd.in/ecR2biT8

A new study co-led by UConn NUSC's Dr. Loneke Blackman Carr demonstrates the feasibility of a novel approach to prevent weight gain by addressing emotional eating. Dr. Carr's SATISFY program provided support that showed results: 63% of the participants stabilized their weight and experienced a significant drop in emotional eating. Read the article here: https://xmrrwallet.com/cmx.plnkd.in/e7iyzAtA Photo by Олег Мороз on Unsplash

Congratulations to Dr. Jaeeun Lee, a postdoctoral researcher in UConn Nutritional Sciences (mentor: Dr. Ji-Young Lee), for her outstanding achievements at the 2025 American Society for Nutrition Conference in Orlando! Her work was recognized multiple times: 1st Place – Emerging Leaders in Nutrition Science Poster Competition Rising Star Award – Dietary Bioactive Components, Basic Research Finalist – Postdoctoral Research Award Competition We’re so proud of Dr. Lee’s incredible work and recognition on the national stage!

🎉 Congratulations to Yidan Zhang – Winner of the 2025 IFT Food Packaging Division Student Competition! 🏆🌿📦 On behalf of the IFT Food Packaging Division, we are thrilled to announce that Yidan Zhang, Ph.D. candidate in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Connecticut, has been awarded #FirstPlace in the 2025 IFT Student Food Packaging Development Competition! Her winning submission, “From Ocean to Package: Scalable Seaweed-Based Coatings for Enhanced Paper Packaging Performance” exemplifies innovation at the intersection of sustainability, food engineering, and polymer science. 🌊 Yidan’s work champions green biorefinery methods to transform seaweed into low-carbon, scalable barrier and edible coatings—paving the way for more sustainable food packaging solutions. As part of this honor, Yidan will receive: ✨ A $1,000 cash award ✨ A Professional Networking Event Pass for IFT FIRST 2025 👏 Please join us in congratulating Yidan Zhang for her outstanding achievement and contribution to the future of food packaging! #IFT2025 #FoodPackaging #SeaweedInnovation #SustainablePackaging #StudentInnovation #IFTFirst #GreenBiorefinery #WomenInSTEM

Yesterday, we celebrated Camilla Crossgrove's 25 years of service at UConn Nutritional Sciences. We wish her a very happy, well-deserved retirement! Your passion, leadership, and kindness have made a lasting difference, and you’ll be deeply missed. Wishing you all the joy, adventure, and relaxation!

Congratulations to UConn Nutritional Sciences grad student Indraja Gaddam, from Dr. Catherine Andersen’s lab, for winning 2nd place in the NUTRITION 2025 Emerging Leaders in Nutrition Science Poster Competition — Carotenoids and Retinoids section!