Catherine J. Andersen

Associate ProfessorProfessor Andersen

Office: Roy E. Jones Building Room 208
Phone: (860) 486-1704
Email: catherine.andersen@uconn.edu

 

EDUCATION

    • Ph.D., Nutritional Sciences, University of Connecticut, 2013
    • M.S., Nutritional Sciences, University of Connecticut, 2011
    • B.S., Nutritional Sciences, University of Connecticut, 2008

PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS

    • Registered dietician-nutritionist (RDN), Commission on Dietetic Registration, 2014

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING

    • Associate Professor, Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT (2021 – Present)
    • Associate Professor, Department of Biology, Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT (2020 – 2021)
    • Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT (2014 – 2020)
    • Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT (2014)

RESEARCH INTERESTS

My research employs clinical, nutrigenomic, and translational approaches to investigate the relationship between diet
and lifestyle factors, metabolic health, and immune function. The long-term goal of my research program is to identify
dietary and lifestyle targets to improve health outcomes in acute and chronic disease, and to elucidate underlying
mechanisms of action in relation to traditional clinical biomarkers. Ongoing areas of investigation include:

    1. Elucidating mechanisms by which functional foods and lipoproteins modulate immune function in human clinical trials and translational cell culture models
    2. Identifying predictors of clinical immune profiles at the population level utilizing epidemiological approaches
    3. Investigating the role of environmental/lifestyle factors (e.g., stress, sleep, occupational characteristics) in determining the relationship between dietary patterns, metabolic health, and immune function

Key words: inflammation, immune function, nutrigenomics, HDL/lipoprotein metabolism and function, autoimmunity,
obesity, metabolic dysfunction, NHANES

PUBLICATIONS

Peer-reviewed Articles (last five years)

View all authored articles of Dr. Catherine Andersen.

    • Andersen CJ, Dupree L, Murray K, Ragonesi N, McMullen K, Cintron-Rivera L, and Doerr, A. Low-Density Lipoproteins, High-Density Lipoproteins (HDL), and HDL-Associated Proteins Differentially Modulate Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Cell Viability. Lipids, 2020; 55(6): 615-626.
    • Andersen CJ and Vance TM. Gender Dictates the Relationship between Serum Lipids and Leukocyte Counts in NHANES 1999-2004. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2019; 8, 365.
    • Calle M and Andersen CJ. Assessment of Dietary Patterns Represents a Potential, Yet Variable, Measure of Inflammatory Status: A Review and Update. Disease Markers, 2019; Article ID 3102870, 1-13.
    • Bartos S, Gordon M, Andersen CJ, Hunter K. Benefits and Success of an Interdisciplinary Wellness Interest Group (iWIG) at a Modern Jesuit University. Building Healthy Academic Communities Journal, 2018; 2(2): 12-20.
    • Andersen CJ. High BMI: A New Determinant of Impaired Rubella Immunity during Pregnancy? Obesity, 2018; 26(9): 1390.
    • Andersen CJ. Impact of Dietary Cholesterol on the Pathophysiology of Infectious and Autoimmune Disease. Nutrients, 2018; 10, 764.
    • Missimer A, DiMarco DM, Andersen CJ, Murillo AG, Vergara-Jimenez M, and Fernandez ML. Consuming 2 Eggs per Day, as Compared to an Oatmeal Breakfast, Decreases Plasma Ghrelin while Maintaining the LDL-HDL Ratio. Nutrients, 2017; 9, 89.
    • Andersen CJ, Murphy KE, and Fernandez ML. Impact of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome on Immunity. Advances in Nutrition, 2016; 7(1): 66-75.

Invited Book Chapters (last five years)

    • Andersen CJ and Greco J. (2021). Nutritional implications for the pathophysiology and treatment of autoimmune disorders, in N. Rezaei (ed), Translational Autoimmunity, Volume 2: Treatment of Autoimmune Disorders. Elsevier. (In Press).
    • Andersen C.J. and Van Dyke A. R. (2019). Modulation of inflammation by egg components, In J. Wu (Ed), Eggs as Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals for Human Health, Food Chemistry, Function and Analysis. Cambridge, UK: The Royal Society of Chemistry.
    • Andersen C.J., Doerr A., Murphy K.E., and McNeely T. (2016). The relationship between cholesterol metabolism and inflammation in chronic disease, In Watson R.R. and de Meester F. (Eds.), Handbook of Cholesterol: Biology, function and role in health and disease, Human Health Handbooks, Vol. 11 (297-316). Wageningen, Netherlands: Wageningen Academic Publishers.
    • Blesso C.N., Andersen C.J., and Fernandez M.L. (2016). Eggs Effects on HDL-C Metabolism, Inflammation, and Insulin Resistance. In Dichi I. and Colado Simao A. (Eds.), Nutritional Intervention in Metabolic Syndrome (313-326). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

SELECTED GRANTS

    • National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Grant, 2019-2022
      “MRI: Acquisition of a Fully-Motorized Microscope at Fairfield University”
      Role in Project: Co-PI (PI: Anita Fernandez)
    • United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Seed Grant
      2018-67018-27508, 2018-2021
      “Egg effects on the immunomodulatory properties of HDL”
      Role in Project: Principle Investigator/Project Director
    • National Consortium for Building Healthy Academic Communities (NCBHAC) Evidence-Based Practice Grant, 2016-
      2018
      “Fueling student health at Fairfield University: Targeting institutional nutrition and exercise resources”
      Role in project: Principle Investigator
    • National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Grant, 2016-2019
      “Acquisition of a MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometer at Fairfield University”
      Role in Project: Co-PI; (PI: Jillian Smith-Carpenter)
    • Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (CICATS) Seed Grant in Obesity Research, 2014-2015
      “Predictors of Weight Loss after Bariatric Surgery: Baseline Status and Post-Surgical Alterations in Oral Sensory
      Phenotpe and Food Preference”
      Role in Project: Co-Investigator with Helen Swede (Co-PI) and Pavlos Papasavas (Co-PI)
    • United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Predoctoral
      Fellowship Award 2012-67011-19914, 2012-2013
      “Effects of egg consumption on HDL composition, macrophage reverse cholesterol transport, and mononuclear
      cell inflammation”
      Role in project: Principle Investigator/Project Director

SELECTED PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

    • Grant Reviewer for the Czech Science Foundation (Panel on Microbiology, Parasitology, Immunology and Biotechnology), UK Research and Innovation Medical Research Council (Panel on SARS-CoV2 vaccine responses and immune failure), and the Canadian Poultry Research Council
    • Editorial Board Member, Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2019 – Present
    • Editorial Board Member, Nutrients, 2018 – Present
    • Ad hoc reviewer for: Advances in Nutrition, American Journal of Preventative Medicine, British Journal of Nutrition, Current Developments in Nutrition, Genes, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Journal of Medicinal Food, Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, Lipids, Medicina, Molecular Omics, Nutrients, Nutrition Research, Obesity, PLOS ONE, Royal Society of Chemistry Advances
    • Professional Member of the American Society for Nutrition, American Nutrition Association, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Connecticut Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Heart Association, and the National Lipid Association