Leveraging Nutritional Data Science and Epidemiology to Tackle the Epidemic of Non-communicable Diseases

Cardiometabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, are the leading causes of mortality both in the US and globally. South Asians and Hispanics are two ethnicities that share a disproportionately higher risk of disease compared to other ethnic groups. While genetics may explain some proportion of this higher risk, differences in diet play a major role in preventing and modifying cardiometabolic disease risk. Recent advances in high-throughput omic technologies, such as proteomics and metabolomics, have accelerated the pace of research in understanding this risk. This seminar will highlight the role of precision medicine and precision nutrition not only in identifying biological markers of disease risk but also in understanding disease mechanisms. The seminar will cover evidence from epidemiological studies, including large-scale prospective cohort studies, randomised controlled trials, and implementation science studies to elucidate the role of diet and lifestyle in cardiometabolic disease prevention.