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Richard M. Clark, Ph.D.

Professor

Department of Nutritional Sciences
Email: richard.m.clark@uconn.edu
Telephone: 860-486-0121
Facsimile: 860-486-3674

Website: www.criticalthinking.uconn.edu

Background

Richard M. Clark, Professor of Nutrition, earned both bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of New Hampshire in Animal Sciences, then a Ph.D. degree in Animal Nutrition from Virginia Polytechnic and State University. His research interest area is currently focused on digestion and absorption of lipids and lipid-soluble nutrients. Dr Clark and his students have published more than fifty full-length articles based on research supported by the National Institute of Health and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Graduate students trained by Dr Clark are now working at Mystic Aquarium, National Cancer Institute, Connecticut Department of Health Services, the Mayo Clinic as well as other colleges and universities. Dr Clark has been a member of several college and university committees, with most assignments relating to teaching or student welfare. He currently advises 10-15 undergraduate students and is the Department's Advisor for students participating in the University Honors Program. Dr Clark received the Donald M. Kinsman Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and the CANR Alumni Teaching Award, and a USDA National Teaching Award.

Teaching

Teaching is my avocation. Besides the usual classroom teaching, I have been experimenting with problem based learning in the Honors Colloquium in Nutrition and with the use of multimedia in the undergraduate Nutritional Assessment course. Outside the classroom I enjoy working with students and in the past have served as the faculty advisor for the Nutrition Club, the Men's Lacrosse Club, and have been a member of the PreMed advisory board, and active in the University Honors Program.

Undergraduate

  • NUSC 165, Fundamentals of Nutrition.
    An introductory to the principles and concepts of nutrition with emphasis on the nature and function of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals and vitamins, and their application to the human organism. (3 credits)
  • NUSC 167, Honors Colloquium in Nutrition.
    Lectures, discussions and laboratory exercises to complement topics in NUSC 165. Primarily for, but not restricted to, honors students. (1 credit)
  • NUSC 241, Nutritional Assessment.
    Anthropometric, clinical, and biochemical techniques for assessment of human nutritional status. (Spring semester, 1 credit)
  • NUSC 236, Principles of Nutrition.
    Function and metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, and vitamins. (Spring semester, 3 credits)

Graduate

  • NUSC 300, Macronutrient Metabolism (Energy and Lipid Metabolism sections)
    The function and metabolic pathways of energy, carbohydrate, protein and lipids; their interrelationships and factors controlling their metabolism. Methodologies for studying metabolism and assessing nutrient requirements in man and animals. (3 credits)
  • NUSC 312, Assessment of Nutritional Status
    This course is designed to discuss and critique the methodologies of nutritional status assessment, namely dietary, anthropometric and biochemical. Analysis of human blood and urine samples provides exposure to laboratory techniques and equipment used in nutritional assessment. (alternate years, 3 credits)

Overview of Research Interests

My research is primarily directed toward the study of digestion, absorption and transport of lipids.

Specific research include:

  • Absorption of carotenoids and lipid-soluble vitamins.
  • Digestion and absorption of milk lipids.
  • Dietary effects on milk composition.

The major purpose of my research is to train graduate students and a limited number of highly motivated undergraduates. Most of my research relies on the use of whole-animal models. During the past decade, students in my laboratory have studied nutritional problems utilizing rats, rabbits, calves, sheep, seals and humans. Graduate students trained in my laboratory generally develop a secondary skill area such as surgery, statistics or a specific analytical technique.

Recent Research Publications

  • Slutzah M, Codipilly CN, Potak D, Clark RM, Schanler RJ. 2009. Refrigerator storage of expressed human milk in the neonatal intensive care unit. J Pediatr. 2009 Sep 25. [Epub ahead of print]
  • Mutungi G, Waters D, Ratliff J, Puglisi M, Clark RM, Volek JS and Fernandez M-L, 2009. Eggs distinctly modulate plasma carotenoid and lipoprotein subclasses in adult men following a carbohydrate restricted diet. J Nutr Biochem 2009 Apr 13. [Epub ahead of print]
  • Hooshmand S, Balakrishnan A, Clark RM, Owen KQ, Koo SI and Arjmandi BH. 2008. Dietary L-carnitine supplementation improves bone mineral density by suppressing bone turnover in aged ovarietomized rats. Phytomedicine 15:595-601
  • Waters D, Clark RM, Greene CM, Contois JH and Frenandez ML. 2007. Change in plasma lutein after egg consumption is positively associated with cholesterol and lipoprotein size but diminished with obesity in postmenopausal women. J Nutr. 137:959-963.
  • Clark RM, Balakrishnan A, Waters D, Aggarwal D, Owen DQ, and Koo SI. 2007. L-Carnitine increases liver alpha-tocopherol and lowers liver and plasma triglycerides in aging ovarietomized rats. J Nutr Biochem. 18:623-628.
  • Clark, R.M., Herron, K.L., Waters, D., and Fermandez M.L. 2006. Low and High Plasma Response to Egg Cholesterol Predicts Response to Lutein and Beta-Carotene in Men and Women. J. Nutr. 136: 601-607.
  • Herron, K.L., McGrane, M.M., Waters, D., Clark, R.M., Ordovas, J.M. and Fernandez, M. L. 2006. ABCG5 Polymorphism Contributes to the Individual Response to Dietary Cholesterol and to Carotenoids in Eggs. J. Nutr. 136: 1161-1165
  • Greene, C.M., Waters, D., Clark, R.M., Contois, J.H. and Fernandez, M.L. 2006. Plasma LDL and HDL characteristics and carotenoid content are positively influenced by egg consumption in an elderly population. Nutrition and Metabolism 3:6 (Online publication)
News and Updates

Fall 2011 Seminar Series
A Seminar Series Presented by the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Connecticut
More Information

 

Scholarships

Please go to the CANR Scholarships and Financial Aid page for Scholarship information

 

Positions Open

DHI Assistant Research Professor
Nutritional Sciences, 11month, non-tenure track—Screening will begin April 15, 2011 and continue until the position is filled.