Biography

     Susan J. Zunino, Ph.D. is a research molecular biologist for studies on micronutrients and immune function at the USDA-ARS-Western Human Nutrition Research Center.  Dr. Zunino received her Ph.D. in cellular and molecular biology at the University of Nevada, Reno in 1989, and continued with postdoctoral research at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.  In 1995, Dr. Zunino held an Assistant Professor position in the Department of Genetics at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany, where she initiated a research program to examine antioxidant phytochemicals as novel chemopreventive agents against leukemia.  In July 2003, Dr. Zunino joined the USDA-ARS-Western Human Nutrition Research Center in Davis, CA, where she investigates the anti-leukemia and anti-inflammatory activities of antioxidant phytochemicals found in fruits, vegetables, spices, and herbs.  Current projects include dietary interventions using mouse models for leukemia and inflammatory autoimmune diseases, as well as human volunteers for inflammation associated with obesity.  Dr. Zunino serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis.  She is a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee for the California Strawberry Commission and the grant review panel of the American Heart Association Western Consortium.  She is a member of the American Association of Immunologists (AAI), American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), and the American Society for Nutrition.

Research Interests

     My research goals are to understand how antioxidant phytochemicals from fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices regulate growth and function of normal and abnormal immune cells, and how they modify inflammatory reactions.  Cell culture, mouse models, and human volunteers are used to investigate the mechanisms of action of dietary phytochemicals.  Individual phytochemicals and whole foods are evaluated for their anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activities.  Specific interests are the roles these phytochemicals may play in preventing leukemia growth and modulating autoimmune inflammatory diseases.  These studies will also aid in defining appropriate dietary intake levels of foods containing high concentrations of antioxidants that would contribute to the production of a healthy immune system in humans.

Research Accomplishments