Nutrition: Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms in the Gut, Brain, and Beyond

Undergraduate

The study of nutrition has focused on how nutrients affect the body in both positive and negative ways. This course will focus on recent findings in the field that have revealed the precise cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of nutrition on the body. Students will cover new and emerging research topics including but not limited to: nutrients and human health, the gut - brain axis, how food intake regulates neuronal circuits in appetite and behaviour, nutrigenomics, how nutrition affects the microbiome, mechanisms of food allergies and/or sensitivity, fasting and the effects of intermittent 541 Winter 2027 Undergraduate Calendar fasting diets. Both human-based and animal-based studies will be covered. Students will learn the mechanisms underlying physiological responses to nutrition, and the latest research informing this field. (Prerequisite: BIOM-3500 or BIOM-3530).). (3 lecture hours per week).