Kevin received his Bachelor of Science in Computer Graphics Technology from Purdue University in 2000. As a multimedia developer, he maintains the Center for Enhancing Foods to Protect Health's website and the Center for Food Safety Engineering website. He has also helped in the creation of educational websites for students ranging from sixth grade to college seniors including The Pizza Explorer and the Phytochemical Learning Resource.

Below is a list of public websites that Kevin has worked on. Other sites also include administration sites for individual websites for content updates and modifications.

• Center for Enhancing Foods to Protect Health
• Center for Food Safety Engineering
• Phytochemical Learning Resource
• The Pizza Explorer
• Retail Food Safety FAQ

Dr. Li is the Research Projects Coordinator of the Center for Enhancing Foods to Protect Health (EFPH), Department of Food Science, Purdue University. He received his Bachelor of Medicine from the School of Public Health, Beijing Medical University and his Ph.D. in Food Science at Purdue University. Dr. Li's research is focused on characterizing the effects of dietary lipids (conjugated linoleic acids, omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids) on bone growth and metabolism using techniques in bone histomorphometry, and approaches in biochemistry and molecular biology. This research has linked dietary fatty acids with local factors that modulate bone formation in laboratory animals. Dr. Li is also proficient in techniques of gas chromatography (GC), HPLC, and other related separation methods. Dr. Li was a recipient of the 1999 AOCS Honored Student Award. In his short career post graduation, Dr. Li has author and coauthored 7 book chapters, 16 journal articles, and 20 conference presentations.

Experimental Biology - Dietary Docosahexaenoic Acid Supplementation Maintains Bone Mass in Ovariectomized Rats

Angela's responsibilities include functioning as the primary support for the Center in which she serves as the resource to corporate representatives, Center scientists, government officials, public/private educators, students, and postdoctoral associates. Angela also performs the role of Editorial Manager for Nutrition Research by assisting the Editor-in-Chief, supervising the editorial process, and communicating with the authors, referees, and publishers of the Journal.

Dr. Bruce A. Watkins is Professor and University Faculty Scholar of Food Science at Purdue University and Adjunct Professor of Anatomy in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis. Dr. Watkins obtained his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Nutrition from Colorado State University and the Ph.D. degree in Nutrition and Physiological Chemistry from the University of California, Davis in 1985.

He received the PSA national research award for his investigations on biotin metabolism in 1990, and in 1994 was presented the Bio Serv Award from the American Society of Nutritional Sciences (ASNS) for his research on the biochemistry of fatty acids in bone. He was the recipient of the 1999 Research and Development Award from the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) for his work on lipids and growth factors in bone metabolism. His research interests include food lipids, lipid biochemistry, eicosanoid and growth factor regulation of bone modeling, antioxidant nutrient interactions in chronic disease, plant phytochemicals, and nutrient-gene regulation. His research on functional foods with the poultry industry led to the development of designer eggs that are marketed in the United States.

Dr. Watkins is also the director of the new Center for Enhancing Foods to Protect Health (EFPH) at Purdue. The university Board of Trustees approved the center and the Dean of the School of Agriculture appointed the director in 1999. In 2000, the director and faculty were awarded competitive grants from Indiana's 21st Century Funds, industry and federal agencies. Since 2000, the center has established discovery cluster groups to address the needs of the state and institution building upon the expertise in food and health research. The center for EFPH is the first multidisciplinary and multi-institutional effort with a mission to develop analytical methods for phytochemicals, optimize the health protectant capacity of food, and create delivery systems for functional foods to reduce disease risk and improve health in humans and companion animals.

The center has faculty participants from the Schools of Agriculture, Veterinary Medicine, Consumer and Family Sciences, Pharmacy and Pharmacal Sciences, Liberal Arts, and the Indiana University School of Medicine. The center's mission is to conduct research on and provide education for designed/functional foods and nutraceuticals to reduce disease risk and improve health in humans and companion animals and optimize the delivery of these functional components.

Dr. Watkins is an author for more than 100 publications. He has given 50 national and international invited talks since 1991. In addition, he serves on five editorial boards for nutrition and food science related journals. He teaches courses on lipid chemistry, nutritional sciences, and functional foods. His developmental efforts in teaching are focused on science visualization to facilitate learning using CD-ROM and Internet educational programs for K-16 (examples include The Pizza Explorer and the Phytochemical Learning Resource).

Watkins, B.A., Li, Y., Lippman, H.E., Reinwald, S., & Seifert M.F. (2004) A test of Occam's Razor: implications of CLA in bone biology. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. (in press).

Shen, C-L., Dunn, D.M., Henry, J. H., Li, L. & Watkins, B.A. (2004) Decreased production of inflammatory mediators in human osteoarthritic chondrocytes by conjugated linoleic acid. Lipids (in press).

Reinwald, S., Li, Y., Moriguchi, T., Salem N. Jr. & Watkins, B.A. (2004) Repletion with (n-3) fatty acids reverses bone structural deficits in (n-3)-deficient rats. J. Nutr. 134:388-394.

Alzghoul, M.B., Gerrard, D., Watkins, B.A. & Hannon K. (2003) Ectopic expression of IGF-I and Shh by skeletal muscle inhibits disuse-mediated skeletal muscle atrophy and bone osteopenia in vivo. FASEB J. 18:221-223 (http://www.fasebj.org/cig/doi/10.1096?fj.03-0293fje;doi:10.1096?fj.03-0293fje).

Watkins B.A., Li Y., Lippman H.E. & Feng S. (2003) Modulatory effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on osteoblast function and bone metabolism. Prost. Leuko. Essent. Fatty Acids. 68:387-398.

Li Y., Greiner R.S., Salem N. Jr. & Watkins, B.A. (2003) Impact of omega-3 fatty acid deficiency on rat bone tissue FA composition. Lipids 38(6):683-686.

Turek, J.J., Watkins, B.A., Schoenlein, I.A., Hayek, M.G. & Aldrich, C.G. (2003) Oxidized lipid depresses canine growth, immune function, and bone formation. J. Nutr. Biochem. 14/1:24-31.

Watkins, B.A., Li, Y., Romsos, D.R., Hoffman, W.E., Allen, K.D.G. & Seifert, M.F. (2003) CLA and bone modeling in rats. In: Advances in Conjugated Linoleic Acid Research, vol 2, pp. 218-250, Jean-Louis Sebedio, W.W. Christie, and R. Adlof editors. AOCS Press.

Cordain, L., Watkins, B.A., Florant, G.L., Kelher, M, Rogers, L. & Li Y. (2002) Fatty acid analysis of wild ruminant tissues: evolutionary implications for reducing diet-related chronic disease tissues. Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 56:181-191.

Watkins, B.A., Li, Y. & Seifert, M.F. (2001) Nutraceutical fatty acids as biochemical and molecular modulators of skeletal biology. Am. Coll. Nutr. 20(5):410S-416S.

Harris, M.A., Hansen, R.A., Visudhiphan, P., Koslo, J.L., Thomas, J.B., Watkins, B.A. & Allen, K.G.D. (2001) Effects of conjugated linoleic acids and docosahexaenoic on rat liver and reproductive tissue fatty acids, prostaglandins (PG) and matrix metalloproteinase production. Prost. Leuko. Essent. Fatty Acids. 65:23-29.

Slim, R., Hammock, B.D., Toborek, M., Robertson, L.W., Newman, J.W., Morisseau, C.H.P., Watkins, B.A., Saraswathi, V. & B. Hennig (2001) The role of methyl-linoleic acid epoxide and diol metabolites in the amplified toxicity of linoleic acid and polychlorinated biphenols to vascular endothelial cells. Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 171(3):184-193.

Watkins, B.A., Li. Y. & Seifert, M.F. (2001) Lipids as modulators of bone remodeling. Curr. Opin. Clin. Nutr. Metab. Care 4:105-110.

Swithers, S.E., Melendez, R.I., Watkins, B.A. & Davis, R.J. (2001) Metabolic and behavioral responses in pre-weanling rats following alteration of maternal diet. Physiol. Behav. 72:147-157.

Watkins, B.A., Li. Y., Lippman, H.E. & Seifert, M.F. (2001) Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and skeletal health. P.S.E.B.M. 226(6):485-497.

Watkins, B.A., Li, Y., Rogers, L., Hoffmann, W.E., Iwakiri, Y., Allen, K.D.G. & Seifert M.F. (2001) Effect of red palm olein on bone tissue fatty acid composition and histomorphometic parameters. Nutr. Res. 21:199-213.

Watkins, B.A., Lippman, H.E., Le Bouteiller, L., Li Y. & Seifert, M.F. (2001) Bioactive fatty acids: Role in bone biology and bone cell function. Prog. Lipid Res. 40:125-148.

Masse, P.G., Delvin, E.E., Hauschka, P.V., Donovan, S.M., Grynpas, M.D., Mahuren, J.D., Watkins, B.A., & Howell, D.S. (2000) Pertubations in factors that modulate osteoblast functions in vitamin B6 deficiency. Can. J. Physiol. Pharmacol. 78:904-911.

Watkins, B.A., Li, Y., Allen, K.D.G., Hoffman, W.E. & Seifert, M.F. (2000) Dietary ratio of n-6/n-3 PUFA alters the fatty acid composition of bone compartments and biomarkers of bone formation in rats. J. Nutr. 130:2274-2284.

Hennig, B., Meerarani, P., Ramadass, P., Watkins, B.A. & Toborek, M. (2000) Fatty acid-mediated activation of vascular endothelial cells. Metabolism 49:1006-1013.

Watkins, B.A. & Seifert, M.F. (2000) Conjugated linoleic acid and bone biology. Am. Coll. Nutr. 19(4):478S-486S.

Hankenson, K.D., Watkins, B.A., Schoenlein, I.A., Allen, K.D.G. & Turek, J.J. (2000) Omega-3 fatty acids enhance ligament fibroblast collagen formation in association with changes in interleukin-6 production. P.S.E.B.M. 223:88-95

• Research Biorgraphical Information
• Center for Enhancing Foods to Protect Health
• IU School of Medicine - Department of Anatomy

Shulin Feng is from China. He received his bachelor of science in Biology from Hebei Teacher's University, P. R China in 1987. He received his Master of Science in Zoology from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1990. He later joined the Chinese Academy of Sciences as a research associate and was promoted to assistant professor. Shulin came to the United States in 1995 to begin graduate studies at Purdue University. He obtained his Master of Science in Physiology in 1998 from Purdue University and is currently completing his Ph.D. in lipid chemistry and molecular biology with Dr. Watkins.

Shulin's research focus is on osteoblast differentiation and function. The investigations are directed at identifying how dietary n-6 and n-3 fatty acids influence progenitor cells isolated from fetal rat calvaria. The goal is to characterize molecular actions of fatty acid on transcription factors involved in bone stem cell differentiation. The research examines the effects of fatty acids on Cbfa1, a transcription factor that initiates osteoblast differentiation and function. Other experiments describe the effects of fatty acids on nodule formation, biotin-dependent enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism, and protein expression in primary cultures of calvarial cells.

Eva grew up in Jakarta, Indonesia and came to the United States in 1996. She earned her B.S. degree in Food Science from Purdue University and is now pursuing a graduate degree in Food Science under the direction of Dr. Watkins. Her research is a study on the actions of phytochemicals and nutraceutical fatty acids in breast cancer.

The incidence of breast cancer varies widely across the nations. Besides the genetic and environmental factors, diet has been indicated as a key modifier of the disease risk. Fish and soybeans are the two of the major foods that are associated with low breast cancer incidence. Eva's research investigates the effects of the components of fish and soybeans in the human breast cancer cells by measuring biomarkers associated with tumor progression.

Hugh Lippman was born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida. His interests, when not in the laboratory (and sometimes when in it) include daydreaming, cooking, reading, and exercising. Hugh received his B.S. from The Florida State University and completed his Ph.D. in Bruce A. Watkins' laboratory at Purdue University.

Hugh's research is centered around the uncharted territory of how dietary lipids, namely their constituent fatty acids, affect the function of cells involved in bone metabolism. The essential dietary fatty acids lead to the production of the eicosanoid hormone family. However, eicosanoids derived from the omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acid families differ in their physiological effect; a property which has been found useful in treating cardiovascular disease. The current Western diet contains an unbalanced proportion of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids which could favor the production of eicosanoids involved in inflammation. By balancing the intake of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty in the diet it may be possible to prevent or attenuate diseases influenced by pro-inflammatory mediators. One disease that could benefit from this dietary change is the bone loss associated with inflammatory events as occurs in osteoporosis and breast cancer metastasis. Thus, dietary changes could help prevent the onset and severity of a disease state in a manner that is safer and more cost-effective than pharmacological intervention.

AOCS 2003 - Fatty Acid Modulation of Osteoblastic Gene Expression

Cecilia was born in Spain, but lived in Mexico for 18 years. She did her undergraduate work in Food Science and Engineering in Monterrey, Mexico. She came to Purdue University to pursue a Ph.D. in Food Science with an emphasis on phytochemical research.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in aging men in the United States. Diet is considered a factor in the expression and progression of prostate cancer. Cecilia's research is focused on finding the effect of fatty acids and anthocyanins included in our diet on the proliferation of prostate cancer cells in vitro via the modulation of prostaglandin metabolism.

Deirdre is from Dublin, Ireland and she is working this summer in Dr. Watkins' laboratory as a visiting scholar. Her interest is in food and health relationships with a focus on improving health status and longevity. Her primary career goal is in the research, development and the marketing of functional food products.

Deirdre has one year left to complete her undergraduate studies at University College Dublin. She is supporting research efforts in understanding the role of dietary lipids (omega-3 fatty acid) in bone health and tissue atrophy in animal models in our laboratory. Deirdre is learning analytical methods for lipids and use of DEXA in determining body composition.

Susan completed her undergraduate degree in Food Science and Nutrition at Deakin University in Melbourne Australia. Following this she was fortunate enough to be selected as recipient of the Claude Deem Scholarship to attend Purdue University for graduate study. Susan's master's research was under the guidance of Dr Watkins in the Food Science Department and she investigated the effects of an omega-3 fatty acid deficiency and repletion feeding on rat bone modeling, after which she decided to remain and continue on with a PhD project that expands her bone and nutrition knowledge. Experiments thus far have involved elucidating the effects of omega-3 fatty acids and soy isoflavones on bones in ovariectomized rats, an approved model for the study of osteopenia/osteoporosis.

Experimental Biology - Soy Isoflavones and n-3 Fatty Acids Conserve Bone Following Ovariectomy in Rats