Research
Military dietitians are engaged in a variety of research projects at any given time. Some dietitians are assigned to work on research exclusively, such as the dietitians of United States Army Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM) of Natick, Massachusetts. Other dietitians are finding fresh opportunities for research in deployed environments. The MPN includes research as a fundamental goal for each student.
Research and Professional Activities
The MPN's professional involvement in the field of nutrition includes publications, poster sessions, invited lectures, and grant activities. Faculty have been published in a variety of journals such as the Journal of the Academy and Dietetics, Diabetes Educator, Military Medicine, and Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology. Topics range from weight, lifestyle and behavior change, diabetes, Joint Field Nutrition Operations, performance nutrition, and minerals and nutritional status.
Class of 2021 Research Topics:
BAMC Students
CPT Helton - Examine the association between nutrition service engagements with weight status, demographic characteristics, and comorbidity diagnoses among military service members (retrospective study)
1LT Rivera - Evaluate the impact of optimizing nutrition administration in preterm infants at Brooke Army Medical Center’s Neonatal Infant Care Unit (retrospective study)
2LT Delgado - Determine the relationship of eating behaviors with how often soldiers weight cycled 5% during their military career (cross-sectional study predictive study)
WRNMMC Students
1LT Shaver - Evaluate food choice architectures influence on customer food choices and effect on food sales at Café 8901, WRNMMC (Qualitative study)
2LT James - Compare the diet quality of active duty SM by weight status (Cross-sectional comparative study)
2LT Lauer - Explore the changes in eating behavior over the course of one station unit training (OSUT) initial entry military training (Quasi-Experimental Pre-Post study)
2LT Powers - Examine the association between dietary intakes and lipid biomarkers in individuals with and without limb loss (prospective 5yr observation study)
MAMC Sstudents
2LT Dail - Evaluate how utilizing nutrition-related genetic information within nutrition counseling will affect Service Members’ lipid panel biomarkers (RCT)
2LT Poglodzinski - Evaluate the use of a mobile application as a tool that can accurately capture daily dietary intake in a military population (mixed model - tool accuracy & qualitative)
WAMC Students
CPT LaVallee - Identify changes in eating behaviors before and after a 4-month Performance Dining Card (PDC) intervention (Quasi-Experimental - Pre-Post Study)
2LT Boone - Assess the relationship between military body image and disordered eating by examining the MBI with diagnosable eating disorder risks (Cross-sectional Predictive study)
Class of 2020 Research Topics
BAMC Students
2LT Caponera - Is there an association between T2D remission rate in Soldiers and the type of bariatric surgery they receive (Roux-en-y, Gastric Sleeve) compared to national averages?
2LT Eberlein - What is the impact of diet order non-compliance on total calorie and protein intake of patients in the STICU compared to those who received prescribed amount?
2LT Swanson - Is pre-meal appetite associated with Soldiers food choice within the dining facility?
2LT Arnold - Is intravenous supplementation of Cu, Se, and Zn associated with decreased infection rates in patients with severe burns?
2LT Fossati - Do macronutrient distribution in total kilocalories consumed (compared to recommendations) for hospitalized, severely burned patients have an effect on weight changes and wound healing?
WRNMMC Students
2LT Griffin - Do dietary quality and overall energy intake differ amongst active duty Soldiers who get less than 7 hours, 7-8 hours, or greater than 8 hours of sleep per night?
2LT Smith - Are Walter Reed military personnel satisfied with telenutrition services?
2LT Chapman - Do quantity and quality of sleep affect cardiovascular risk in patients with traumatic lower limb amputations?
2LT Wonn - Does length of attendance to the Fit4Performace weight loss program facilitate weight loss?
2LT Adams - Which lifestyle behaviors are predictors of android fat compared to gynoid fat deposition in Soldiers (DEXA)?
MAMC Students
2LT Doubet - Do new Army recruits exhibit different health behaviors than ROTC candidates?
2LT Pierce - What environmental and lifestyle factors correlate with Soldiers and weight gain?
2LT Komisak - Does the effectiveness of IMPACT Advanced Recovery beverage on decreasing infection rates vary among surgeries offered at MAMC?
2LT Jarnow - Do service members given nutrition education in Vitamin D supplementation for 3 months have a subsequent increase in Vitamin D levels at 12 months post-supplementation?
2LT Tommas - Does health watch 360 app increase physical activity and facilitate weight loss in Soldiers at risk for metabolic syndrome?
Recent Research Published by GPN Phase 1 & 2 Faculty:
Au LE, Gurzo K, Paolicelli C, Whaley SE, Weinfield NS, Ritchie LD. Diet Quality of US Infants and Toddlers 7–24 Months Old in the WIC Infant and Toddler Feeding Practices Study. Journal of Nutrition. 2018; 148(11), 1786-1793. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30383276/
Au LE, Paolicelli C, Gurzo K, Ritchie LD, Weinfield NS, Plank KR, Whaley, SE. Contribution of WIC-Eligible Foods to the Overall Diet of 13-and 24-Month-Old Toddlers in the WIC Infant and Toddler Feeding Practices Study-2. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2019; 119(3), 435-448. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Contribution+of+WIC-Eligible+Foods+to+the+Overall+Diet+of+13-and+24-Month-Old+Toddlers+in+the+WIC+Infant+and+Toddler+Feeding+Practices+Study-2
Berryman CE, Young AJ, Karl JP, Kenefick RW, Margolis LM, Cole RE, Carbone JW, Lieberman HR, Kim I-L, Ferrando AA, Pasiakos SM. Severe Negative Energy Balance During 21 Days at High Altitude Decreases Fat-Free Mass Regardless of Dietary Protein: A Randomized Controlled Trial. FASEB J. 2018 Feb;32(2):894-905. doi: 10.1096/fj.201700915R. [Epub 2018 Jan 3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29066613
Coleman MC, Walzem RL, Kieffer AJ, Minamoto T, Suchodolski J, Cohen ND. Novel lipoprotein density profiling in laminitic, obese, and healthy horses. Domest Anim Endocrinol. 2019 Jul;68:92-99. doi: 10.1016/j.domaniend.2018.11.003.2019 Jan 18 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30927630/
Cole RE, Bukhari AS, Champagne CM, McGraw SM, Hatch AM, Montain SJ. Performance Nutrition Dining Facility Intervention Improves Special Operations Soldiers Diet Quality and Meal Satisfaction. JNEB. 2018 Nov-Dec;50(10):993-1004, doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2018.06.011. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30172700
Cole RE, Meyer SA, Newman TJ, Kieffer AJ, Wax SG, Stote K, Madanat H. The My Body Knows When Program Increased Intuitive Eating Characteristics in a Military Population. Military Medicine. 2019 Jan 23. https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usy403 [Epub ahead of print] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30690473
Fagnant, HS, Armstrong, NJ, Lutz, LJ, Nakayama, AT, Guerriere KI, , Ruthazerd, R, Cole, RE, McClung, JP, Gaffney-Stomberg, E, Karl, JP.
Self-reported eating behaviors of military recruits are associated with body mass index at military accession and change during initial military training. Appetite. Nov 2019. https:doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2019.104348. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31299192
Hamner HC, Paolicelli C, Casavale KO, et al. Food and Beverage Intake From 12 to 23 Months by WIC Status. Pediatrics. 2019;143(3):e20182274 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30733238
Hatch AM, Cole RE, DiChiara AJ, McGraw SM, Merrill EP, Wright AO, Lieberman HR, Bukhari AS. Personality Traits and Occupational Demands are Linked to Dietary Supplement Use in Soldiers: A Cross-sectional Study of Sensation Seeking Behaviors. Military Medicine. 2019 Mar; 184 (3-4), e253-e262. https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usy201 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30137399
Karl JP, Cole RE, Berryman CE, Finlayson G, Radcliffe PN, Kominsky MT, Murphy NE, Carbone JW, Rood JC, Young AJ, Pasiakos SM. Appetite Suppression and Altered Food Preferences Coincide with Changes in Appetite-Mediating Hormones during Energy Deficit at High Altitude, But Are Not Affected by Protein Intake. High Altitude Medicine & Biology. 2018 Jun;19(2):156-169. doi: 10.1089/ham.2017.0155. [Epub 2018 Feb12] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29431471
Meyer S, Cole RE. Army Body Composition Program Study Results Concerning: Enrollees Are More Over Fat Than Expected. Military Medicine. 2019;184(Suppl1):400-408. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30901401
Sikand G, Cole RE, Handu D, deWaal D, Christaldi J, Johnson EQ, Arpino LM, Ekvall SM. Clinical and Cost Benefit of Medical Nutrition Therapy by Registered Dietitian Nutritionists for Management of Dyslipidemia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Clinical Lipidology. 2018 Sep-Oct;12(5):1113-1122, doi: 10.1016/j.jacl.2018.06.016. [Epub 2018 Jul 3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30055973
Recent Research Published by GPN Graduates:
Conkright W, Barringer, N, McClung, J. Mission Profile Characteristics of a Special Forces Deployment in Afghanistan. International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings. 2019;9(7):Article 16.
Conkright WR, Barringer ND, Lescure PB, Feeney KA, Smith MA, Nindl BC. Differential recovery rates of fitness following U.S. Army Ranger training. J Sci Med Sport. 2019 Dec 17. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2019.12.010. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31870679
Conkright W, Deuster, PA. Precision Performance Nutrition What Can Special Operations Forces Communities Expect? J Spec Oper Med. Spring 2019;19(1):107-112. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30859537
Heileson, J.L., Jayne, J.M., Validity of Digital and Manual Refractometers for Measuring Urine Specific Gravity during Field Operations: A Brief Report. Military Medicine (2019). doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usz082 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31004429
Heileson JL. Dietary saturated fat and heart disease: a narrative review. Nutrition Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuz091
Heileson JL, Funderburk LK. The effect of fish oil supplementation on the promotion and preservation of lean body mass, strength, and recovery from physiological stress in young, healthy adults: a systematic review. Nutr Rev. 2020 Jun 1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32483626
Jayne, J.M., Blake, C.E., Frongillo, E.A., Liese, A.D., Cai, B., Nelson, D. A., Kurina, L.M., Funderburk, L. Trajectories of body mass index among active-duty US Army Soldiers, 2011-2014. Preventative Medicine Reports (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2019.01.022, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30805278
Jayne, J.M., Bujak, B.K., Torres-McGehee T.M., Frongillo, E.A., Cable, S., Glover S. H., Emerson, D.E., Blake, C.E. Role of Drill Sergeants in Nutrition Behaviors of Soldiers in Basic Training. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2018.05.009
Jayne, J.M., Frongillo, E.A., Torres-McGeehee T.M., Emerson, D., Glover, S.H., Blake, C.E. A Healthy Eating Identity is Associated with Healthier Food Choice Behaviors among US Army Soldiers. Military Medicine (2018). DOI:https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usy056. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29635635
Jayne JM, Ayala R, Karl JP, McGraw SM, O’Connor K, Dichiara AJ, Cole RE. Body weight status, perceived stress, and emotional eating among US Army Soldiers: A mediator model. Eat Behav. 2020 Jan;36:101367. doi: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2020.101367. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32018191/?from_term=jayne%2C+julianna&from_pos=6
Shields BA, Carpenter JN, Bustillos BD, Jordan AN, Cunningham KB, Vega sJ, Aden JK, Rowan MP, Rizzo JA, Dewey WS, Gurney JM, Ainsworth CR, Cancio LC. The Interplay of Nutrition, Physical Activity, Severity of Illness, and Mortality in Critically Ill Burn Patients: Is There a Connection? Journal of Burn Care & Research. 2019; doi:10.1093/jbcr/irz126 [Epub 2018 Oct 7] https://academic.oup.com/jbcr/article/40/6/936/5531681
GPN Class of 2021 currently in Phase II
Article by 1LT James: https://www.health.mil/News/Articles/2021/04/12/Do-sports--energy-drinks-enhance-individual-performance
Another one about the internship: https://www.health.mil/News/Articles/2021/04/05/Dietetic-interns-train-to-better-MHS-beneficiaries-nutrition-health