Students present research on diet’s effect on cancer outcomes

Students at The Ohio State University are carrying on the legacy of the late Russell Klein, a professor whose interdisciplinary research into the link between nutrition and cancer paved the way for innovative prevention strategies.

The students and scientists from across the country discussed groundbreaking developments in prevention and treatment at the 21st Annual Russell Klein Nutrition Research Symposium. The event was held recently at the university’s 4-H Center.

“I know that Russ would be so proud and excited to see the continued efforts and enthusiasm for future discovery in nutrition and cancer prevention research,” said Brenda Bixler, who was Klein’s wife until his passing in 2006.

Graduate students from the departments of Human Nutrition, Animal Science, and Food Science and Technology organize the symposium in Klein’s memory each year and present their research. Klein held dual appointments at Ohio State as an assistant professor in the human nutrition program in the College of Education and Human Ecology and The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center.

“Russ was very passionate about teaching and passing on his enthusiasm for learning to his students,” Bixler said. “He encouraged them to strive for excellence and integrity within their work and loved celebrating the progress and discoveries they made.”

Students who presented research during the symposium included Ashley Kennedy, a registered dietitian nutritionist and PhD candidate in the interdisciplinary PhD program. She spoke about the difficulty that some patients who are undergoing treatment for head and neck cancers have with digesting solid food. Undereating can cause patients to be deprived of nutrients such as carotenoids that come from fruits and vegetables.

“Weight loss and malnutrition is significant during rigorous modern head and neck cancer therapy,” she said. “This is of importance because lower carotenoid intake and head and neck cancer may impact treatment … as well as pose survivorship issues such as cognitive impairment, which requires further study.”

Katie Zamary, a student in the human nutrition master’s degree program, presented research on nutrition’s effect on cognitive function in patients who are undergoing breast cancer treatments.

“Various dietary components have been investigated for their potential to mitigate cognitive decline,” Zamary said. “High dietary fiber has been associated with better cognitive function.”

Bixler and Lindsey Sadowski, her and Klein’s daughter, announced the winners of the Russell Klein Memorial Award: Maria Antonius, a master’s degree student whose research examines the effect of diet on fatty liver disease, and Jillian Pierson, a PhD student whose research centers on the effect of glucose consumption on inflammation in the body.

In addition, students who presented research during the symposium received first-, second- and third-place awards in categories based on their fields of study. The winning presentations were selected by a panel of judges that consisted of faculty from various departments.

The symposium was presented by the Ohio State Graduate Society of Nutritional Sciences, the College of Education and Human Ecology’s Human Nutrition Program, the Interdisciplinary PhD Program in Nutrition and the Comprehensive Cancer Center.