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Doctoer using stethoscope on patient to listen to chest

Fuel Your Heart: How Nutrition Supports Cardiovascular Health

  • by Henry Pao, Clinical Nutrition Major

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death globally, affecting millions of lives each year. From heart attacks and strokes to high blood pressure and atherosclerosis, the burden of heart-related conditions is not only physical but also emotional and economic.

A Image of a brain scam

Feeding the Brain: The Role of HDL, Prebiotics, and the  Mediterranean Diet in Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease

  • by Mary Fanslau, Clinical Nutrition Major

Dr. Angela Zivkovic is a leading researcher in precision nutrition and a professor in the Department of Nutrition at UC Davis. Her work is grounded in the belief that chronic disease is not an inevitable part of aging, but rather the result of accumulated damage driven by factors like dysregulated metabolism and chronic inflammation—both of which are deeply influenced by diet and lifestyle. 

Low-fat veggies and fruits like broccoli, apples, tomatoes shown on left and high-fat foods like hamburgers, pizza and french fries on the right. A tape measure divides the two sides. UC Davis researchers find that switching from a high-fat to a low-fat diet slowed precancerous changes in the pancreas of mice. (Getty)

Could Dietary Changes — Even After Obesity — Help Prevent Pancreatic Cancer?

  • by Amy Quinton

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer, killing 87% of patients within five years. Previous studies have shown that obesity can increase pancreatic cancer risk by around 50%. In a new study from the University of California, Davis, researchers showed evidence that switching from a high-fat diet to a low-fat diet slowed pancreatic precancer development in mice, even after weight gain and precancerous changes began. The research was published in the Journal of Nutrition.

Group of Wasson Award Winners Jump in Front of ARC

2025 NIRSA Wasson Award Winners

  • by by Kyla Schnitter and Campus Recreation Staff

This year, UC Davis Campus Recreation was honored to have four students selected for the NIRSA William N. Wasson Student Leadership and Academic Award. These awards recognize exceptional undergraduate and graduate students who set the standard for campus recreation departments across the country. Students from Region VI (comprising Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona and California), were selected—four of them are Aggies!

Group photo of Drs. Lauren Au, Drs. Cassandra Nguyen, and grad students

Drs. Au and Nguyen present at the Healthy Eating Research grantees meeting

  • by Alexis Lopez

Nutrition Department faculty, Drs. Lauren Au and Cassandra Nguyen, presented at the 20th Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Healthy Eating Research meeting in Durham, North Carolina on March 12-14th. They were joined by GGNB faculty, post-doc, and graduate student, Dr. Jennifer Falbe, Dr. Jennie Davis, and Christabel Domfe.

Coffee beans

Coffee & Conversations with Nutrition Chair Gerardo Mackenzie

  • by Alexis Lopez

Nutrition Alumni and Friends!

Join us for a virtual coffee chat with Nutrition Chair Gerardo Mackenzie!
Grab your favorite cozy beverage, spend some time to learn what’s new. Hear
about the department’s latest breakthroughs and the vital role our faculty
and students play in addressing today’s pressing issues. After a brief
presentation, Professor Mackenzie will open the floor to your questions,
followed by a raffle of fun swag to show your Aggie pride. Don’t miss this
opportunity to connect, engage, and support the future of nutrition science!

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