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Elizabeth Ryan
Toxicology, Cancer Biology and Nutrition Laboratory

This multi-disciplinary lab studies gut mucosal immunity and enteric pathogens, probiotic metabolism of foods, and host associated microbiota-metabolic changes in response to dietary interventions across the lifespan.

Current projects involve investigation of foods such as rice bran, legumes (beans, cowpeas) and the impacts of these nutrient dense, fiber-rich foods on gut microbiome metabolism with health outcomes related to child growth as well as reducing risk for cancer.

Our team collaborates with local, national, and international groups on functional and sustainable foods and utilizes cutting-edge technologies such as metabolomics.

research project

CSU Spur’s Health Education and Lifelong Food Solutions (SHELFS)

SHELFS addresses chronic disease by promoting culturally relevant, nutritious whole foods. The program educates and empowers families to cook and eat healthier, focusing on whole grains and legumes. Through research on effective health interventions, SHELFS aims to increase dietary fiber consumption to help prevent and manage diseases like obesity and type 2 diabetes.

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research project

Research Study: Northern Colorado Coronavirus Biobank

Northern Colorado Coronavirus Biobank
(NoCo-CO-BIO): A biorepository for acute and
convalescent patient samples from
Coloradoans infected with SARS CoV-2

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research project

Clinical Research Study: Beans/Bran Enriching Nutritional Eating For Intestinal Health and Cancer

Beans/Bran Enriching Nutritional Eating For Intestinal Health and Cancer Including Activity for Longevity (BENEFICIAL) is a human clinical research study designed to identify whether foods such as beans or rice bran, combined with regular physical activity, can lower the risk of colorectal cancer.

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Publications

Assessment of community readiness to address malnutrition in rural southwest Guatemala

Annika M. Weber, Roberto Delgado-Zapata, Melissa Fineman, Andrea Jimenez-Zambrano, Brigitte A. Pfluger, Maureen Cunningham, Diva M. Calvimontes, Elizabeth P. Ryan, Molly M. Lamb
Public Health Challenges (2024)

Pilot Study of Heat-Stabilized Rice Bran Acceptability in Households of Rural Southwest Guatemala and Estimates of Fiber, Protein, and Micro-Nutrient Intakes among Mothers and ChildrenPlasma, urine, and stool metabolites in response to dietary rice bran and navy bean supplementation in adults at high-risk for colorectal cancer

Brigitte A. Pfluger, Alexis Giunta, Diva M. Calvimontes, Molly M. Lamb, Roberto Delgado-Zapata, Usha Ramakrishnan, and Elizabeth P. Ryan
Nutrients (2024)

Urine and Dried Blood Spots From Children and Pregnant Women Reveal Phytochemicals, Amino Acids, and Carnitine Metabolites as Cowpea Consumption BiomarkersNontargeted and Targeted metabolomics Identifies Dietary Exposure Biomarkers for Navy Bean and Rice Bran Consumption in Children and Adults

Madison Tipton, Bridget A. Baxter, Brigitte A. Pfluger, Brooke Sayre-Chavez, María Muñoz-Amatriaín, Corey D. Broeckling, Issah Shani, Matilda Steiner-Asiedu, Mark Manary, Elizabeth P. Ryan
Molecular Nutrition & Food Research (2024)

Solutions to Enhance Health with Alternative Treatments (SEHAT) protocol: a double-blinded randomised controlled trial for gut microbiota-targeted treatment of severe acute malnutrition using rice bran in ready-to-use therapeutic foods in Indonesia

Annika M Weber, Silvia Barbazza, Moretta D Fauzi, Asrinisa Rachmadewi, Ririh Zuhrina, Fildzah K Putri, Maiza Campos Ponce, Marinka van der Hoeven, Rimbawan Rimbawan, Zuraidah Nasution, Puspo E Giriwono, Frank T Wieringa, Damayanti D Soekarjo, Elizabeth P Ryan
BMJ Open (2023)

Persistent CD8⁺ T cell proliferation and activation in COVID-19 adult survivors with post-acute sequelae: a longitudinal, observational cohort study of persistent symptoms and T cell markers

Stephanie M. LaVergne, Taru S. Dutt, Kim McFann, Bridget A. Baxter, Tracy L. Webb, Kailey Berry, Maddy Tipton1, Sophia Stromberg, Brian M. Sullivan, Julie Dunn, Marcela Henao-Tamayo and Elizabeth P. Ryan.
Frontiers in Immunology (2024)

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