Lauren Housley
College of Family and Consumer Sciences
Clinical Associate Professor and Director of Dietetic Internship Program
Education
| Degree | Field of Study | Institution | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ph.D. | Nutrition | Oregon State University | 2015 |
| M.S. | Foods and Nutrition | University of Georgia | 2010 |
| Dietetic Internship | Clinical Nutrition | University of Georgia | 2010 |
| B.S. | Dietetics | University of Georgia | 2008 |
Job Description
Dietetic Internship Program
I am the Director of the Dietetic Internship Program at UGA. Our program is accredited by ACEND and is a graduate-level program in which students complete either a master's or doctoral degree in addition to the internship. At the end of the program, graduates are eligible to sit for the credentialing exam for registered dietitians. We partner with clinical sites, foodservice establishments, school nutrition programs, community organizations, private practices in nutrition, and UGA cooperative extension to provide rich and diverse training experiences for our interns. I am passionate about preparing students to become professionals and leaders in the field of nutrition.
Teaching
I currently teach: Human Nutrition and Food (FDNS 2100), Dietetics Practicum (FDNS 5910), Dietetics Internship: Supervised Practice and Professional Development (FDNS 7911).
Research
My research areas include diet and cancer chemoprevention, nutrient bioavailability, health benefits of phytochemicals, and nutritional epigenetics. More specifically, I have worked on projects investigating the health effects (including chemopreventive effects) of the dietary phytochemical sulforaphane, biomarkers of zinc nutriture, and the role of zinc and vitamin D on bone health. My most recent studies investigated the impact of sulforaphane on cytokine signaling, cancer cell proliferation and invasion within the breast tumor microenvironment and the involvement of tumor-associated macrophages. I have experience conducting human feeding studies, clinical trials, and in vitro cell culture studies. Additional research skills include separation/extraction techniques, mass spectrometry, metabolomics, molecular biology and epigenetic techniques such as qPCR and HDAC activity assays, proteomics, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2D-SDS-PAGE), data collection and organization, and quality control. Ultimately, my interests revolve around clarifying diet and disease mechanisms to improve human disease prevention and treatment strategies.