- About
- Research
- Scientific Services
- Research Laboratories
- Antioxidants
- Body Composition
- Bone Metabolism
- Carotenoids & Health
- Cardiovascular Nutrition
- Dietary Assessment
- Energy Metabolism
- Epidemiology
- Lipid Metabolism
- Mineral Bioavailability
- Nutrition & Cancer Biology
- Nutrition, Exercise, Physiology & Sarcopenia (NEPS)
- Nutritional Genomics
- Nutritional Immunology
- Neuroscience
- Nutrition and Neurocognition
- Nutrition & Vision Research
- Obesity Metabolism
- Vascular Biology
- Vitamins & Carcinogenesis
- Vitamin K
- Vitamin Metabolism
- People
- Scientists
- A-J
- Bela F. Asztalos, Ph.D.
- Lynne M. Ausman, D.Sc., R.D.
- Jeffrey B. Blumberg, Ph.D.
- Sarah L. Booth, Ph.D.
- Chung-Yen (Oliver) Chen, Ph.D.
- Chung-Jung Chiu, DDS, Ph.D.
- Sang-Woon Choi, M.D., Ph.D.
- Natalia A. Crivello, Ph.D.
- Jimmy Crott, Ph.D.
- Gerard E. Dallal, Ph.D.
- Sai K. Das, Ph.D.
- Bess Dawson-Hughes, M.D.
- Marion Dietrich, Ph.D.
- Gregory G. Dolnikowski, Ph.D.
- Johanna T. Dwyer, D.Sc., R.D.
- Roger A. Fielding, Ph.D.
- Andrew S. Greenberg, M.D.
- Susan Harris, D.Sc.
- Tina L. Huang, Ph.D.
- Paul F. Jacques, D.Sc.
- Elizabeth J. Johnson, Ph.D.
- James Joseph, Ph.D.
- K-P
- Joseph J. Kehayias, Ph.D.
- Norman I. Krinsky, Ph.D.
- Chao-Qiang Lai,Ph.D.
- Stefania Lamon-Fava, M.D., Ph.D.
- Alice H. Lichtenstein, D.Sc.
- Fuzhi Lian, Ph.D.
- Chun Liu, M.D., M.S./M.P.H.
- Zhenhua Liu, Ph.D.
- Joel B. Mason, M.D.
- Nirupa Matthan, Ph.D.
- Diane L. McKay, Ph.D.
- Nicola McKeown, Ph.D.
- Mohsen Meydani, D.V.M., Ph.D.
- Simin Nikbin Meydani, D.V.M., Ph.D.
- Paul E. Milbury, Ph.D., CFII
- Martha Morris, Ph.D.
- Martin S. Obin, Ph.D.
- Jose M. Ordovas, Ph.D.
- Laurence D. Parnell, Ph.D.
- Ligi Paul Pottenplackel, PhD
- Q-Z
- Judy D. Ribaya-Mercado, Sc.D.
- Susan B. Roberts, Ph.D.
- Irwin H. Rosenberg, M.D.
- Robert M. Russell, M.D.
- Edward Saltzman, M.D.
- Ernst J. Schaefer, M.D.
- Jacob Selhub, Ph.D.
- Fu Shang, Ph.D.
- Barbara Shukitt-Hale, Ph.D.
- Donald E. Smith, Ph.D., CMAR
- Katherine Strissel, Ph.D
- Guangwen Tang, Ph.D.
- Allen Taylor, Ph.D.
- Aron Troen, D. Phil.
- Katherine L. Tucker, Ph.D.
- Xiang-Dong Wang, M.D., Ph.D.
- Elizabeth Whitcomb, Ph.D.
- Richard J. Wood, Ph.D.
- Dayong Wu, M.D., Ph.D.
- Qing-Wu Yan, Ph.D.
- Su-Ping Yang
- Kyung-Jin Yeum, Ph.D.
- A-J
- Visiting Scientists
- Postdoctoral Associates
- Bradley Bolling, Ph.D.
- Lisa Ceglia, M.D.
- Angela Chale-Rush, R.D., Ph.D.
- Aurelie Chanson, Ph.D.
- Silvina Choumenkovitch, Ph.D.
- Alice Dillard Hirschel, Ph.D.
- Edward Dudek, Ph.D.
- Xueyan Fu, Ph.D.
- Weimin Guo, Ph.D.
- Wangwang Jiao, Ph.D.
- Yunkyoung Lee, Ph.D.
- Denish Moorthy, M.B.B.S., M.S.
- James Perfield, Ph.D.
- Zhihong Ren, Ph.D.
- Kyla Shea, Ph.D.
- Jian Shen, Ph.D.
- Caren E. Smith, M.S., D.V.M
- Sameera Talegawkar, Ph.D.
- Tomoaki Uchiki, Ph.D.
- Thomas van Himbergen, Ph.D.
- Scientists
- Volunteer
- Current Studies
- 2347: Glycemic Index - Variability Among Individuals
- 2445: Vitamin K Absorption
- 2450: Vitamin D and Muscle Strength
- 2520: Comprehensive Assessment of Long-term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy (CALERIE)
- 2555: Whey Protein Supplementation and Resistance Exercise Study
- 2585: Vitamin D and Blood Sugar Control
- Request Information
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Current Studies
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- Partnering
Metabolic Research Unit
The Metabolic Research Unit (MRU), a 25,000-square foot facility, includes individual quarters for fourteen resident volunteers, a metabolic kitchen, a dining room, examination rooms, and a medical records library. The Volunteer Services Department maintains one of the largest databases of healthy young and elderly volunteers. Approximately 3,000 adult and elderly individuals from the metropolitan Boston area are recruited annually for a variety of population, longitudinal, metabolic, and free-living nutrition studies. More than 700 prospective volunteers are evaluated each year for study participation. The typical screening evaluation involves a physical examination, routine blood work, urinalysis, and electrocardiograms. The volunteer drop-out rate of less than twelve percent reflects, in part, the staff's sensitivity to the unique needs and diverse interests of today's elderly. Research nurses and support staff implement research protocols and continually assess and monitor the physiological and psychosocial status of free- living and resident volunteers. Registered dietitians and Nutrition Services support staff develop and implement the dietary component of research protocols. Nutrition Services staff are trained to provide diets requiring precise nutrient control, preparation and serving procedures.
All human research studies carried out in the MRU must be reviewed and approved by the Tufts University-New England Medical Center Institutional Review Board (IRB). These studies and the IRB are regulated by Federal guidelines established by the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration. All MRU staff are required to be certified in human subject research protection and designated staff must complete ongoing mandatory training.
