The Physiology of Personalized Nutrition

Symposium — Monday, April 23, 2018 — 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM — Convention Center, Room 26
Nutrition Physiology Interest Group — Chair: Brynn Voy — Co-Chair: Joshua Anthony

The concept of personalized nutrition has emerged from recognition that, while diet is critical to health, the efficacy of any single nutrient, food or diet regimen varies widely between individuals. A growing public interest in personalized nutrition is catalyzed by fitness trackers and apps that precisely monitor diet and activity, coupled with a steady supply of new diet regimens promoted via the internet and social media. The commercial sector has evolved in parallel, with companies offering the ability to provide optimal diet solutions based on an individual’s goals and biological makeup. Increasing affordability of and access to genomic and other biometric data further catalyzes growth of the field. Despite the burgeoning level of interest in personalized nutrition from the public, the commercial sector, and federal funding agencies, relatively little is known about the underlying physiological variation that drives this emerging paradigm. Understanding the mechanistic basis for individual differences in metabolism to inform personalized nutrition is important if its potential benefits for health and disease prevention are to be fully realized. Identifying these mechanisms is also likely to inform a broader range of disciplines because cellular metabolism is a nexus for disease susceptibility.

The purpose of this symposium is to explore the mechanisms underlying physiological differences that form the basis for personalized nutrition across a variety of systems. Topics and potential speakers have been chosen to specifically focus on physiological variation that arises within a population, due to complex genetic variation and differences in expression, rather than from targeted manipulation of single genes.

The projected titles and rationale for each talk are as follows:

1. Genetic and gender variation in the response to global human diets (David Threadgill, Texas A&M) This talk will illustrate the breadth of phenotypic variation that arises from interactions between genetic background, gender and diet, and will highlight specific molecular mechanisms that may mediate some of these interactions.

2. Contribution of the gut microbiome to individual response to diet (Frederico Rey, University of Wisconsin) This talk will address how microbiota and diet interact to affect human health.

3. Genetic variation in taste and the effects on appetite and metabolism (Gary Beauchamp, Monell Chemical Senses Center) This talk will illustrate the systems level impact of heritable variation in taste and its interaction with diet.

4. Integrating multiscale physiological data to predictor individual response to diet (Suzan Wopereis, TNO) This talk will highlight system-based approaches that utilize multiple systems level phenotypes to guide personalized nutrition and health.Attendees of this symposium should gain a deeper appreciation of the extent to which individual background alters the response to diet and insight into potential mechanisms that underlie personalized nutrition.

Speakers

• Genetic and gender variation in the response to global human diets.
  William Barrington — UCLA


• Contribution of the gut microbiome to individual response to diet.
  Frederico Rey — Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison


• Genetic variation in human flavor perception.
  Danielle R. Reed — Associate Director, Monell Chemical Senses Ctr.


• Personalized nutrition from the perspective of phenotypic flexibility.
  Suzan Wopereis — Netherlands Organ. for Appl. Sci. Res. (TNO)