Research/Areas of Interest
Nutrition and cardiovascular disease, dietary fatty acids, cholesterol and bile acid metabolism, fatty acid and lipoprotein kinetics, sphingolipids, plant sterols, glycemic index
Education
- PhD, Nutritional Biochemistry, School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, McGill University, Canada
Biography
Dr. Nirupa Matthan is Scientist I in the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at the HNRCA. Her research interests include heart disease and lifestyle risk factors with specific emphasis on objective assessment of diet quality (nutrient biomarkers) as well as disease biomarkers (metabolite signatures). Dr. Matthan also has expertise in the measurement of cholesterol absorption and synthesis markers, lipoprotein kinetics following dietary modification and targeted lipidomics. Recent projects address the role of carbohydrate and fat type on heart disease risk factors, glycemic index, fatty acid metabolism using stable isotopes, the relationship between plasma biomarkers of nutrient intake and diet quality in a family-based weight management program, and the effect of avocado consumption on changes in fat in overweight/obese Americans. Past projects include human metabolic studies on trans fatty acids, soy protein and isoflavones, novel vegetable oils differing in fatty acid profile on heart disease risk and studying diet- drug interactions on atherosclerosis development using a porcine model. She is an Associate Professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and a Faculty senator/executive council member in the Tufts University wide Faculty Senate. She has several professional affiliations, including the American Heart Association (Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health,) American Society for Nutrition, and Boston Nutrition Obesity Research Center.