Preparing an isotope solution

Author: Aaron Nguyen | Major: Food Science

My name is Aaron Nguyen and I am studying food science with a minor in human nutrition. Since Summer 2021, I have been working in Dr. Jamie Baum’s human nutrition lab. Dr. Baum’s lab focuses on the role of dietary protein in regulation of muscle activity and other functions of the body. My goal is to determine the relationship between protein intake and bone density. I decided to concentrate on bone density for my project because when I was younger, my family would always tell me to drink milk to build strong bones. Health and nutrition has always been an important part of my life, and I was excited to conduct nutrition-related research studying human participants.

When I started working in Dr. Baum’s lab, there was an existing study called TRIMM, which stands for Time Restricted feeding Intervention for Muscle and Metabolic health. Time restricted feeding is an eating pattern where you eat only during a specific time window and fast for the rest of the day. Time restricted feeding may lead to health and metabolic benefits. For the TRIMM study, participants are asked to eat during an 8 hour period. The feeding intervention lasts for 12 weeks. Before starting and after finishing the intervention, the participants have their body composition measured using a DXA scan (dual x-ray absorptiometry). The DXA measures the patient’s bone, muscle, and fat. For bone, the two values that are measured are bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC). Working in my project with the existing study was seamless. DXA scans were already a part of the study, and bone values were already recorded. Because TRIMM is an ongoing study, I have access to data from the last year to use for my project. I will analyze the bone values of the participants from before and after undergoing their feeding interventions and see if there is any correlation between dietary protein intake and bone health.

This last semester, I have been helping in the lab with running the study. This includes preparing protein supplements and isotope solutions for the participants, as well as helping organize and record the data gathered in the study. My mentor Dr. Jamie Baum has been very helpful, especially when I was preparing my research proposal. Her graduate students Rebecca and Chetan have been great at showing me how the study is run, and they answer any questions I have about the study and my project. Next semester, I will begin to analyze my data and write my thesis in preparation of my thesis defense the following semester.

The Honors College Research Grant has helped the lab and me to run TRIMM by providing funding for equipment used in the study. Learning the academic research process has been very interesting and will be a very useful experience. The premise of my project is important to public health. Bone mineral density and content are the main measurements observed when screening for osteoporosis and bone fracture risk. With the elderly population rising and osteoporosis being common in older adults, the findings from studies similar to this could lead to new public health advice in the prevention of bone diseases.